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xtremeroswelliaTitle: Two Guys, a Girl and a Chevy Impala
Fic 19: Guide You Home
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: SO not ours. But we still dream!!
Peoria, Illinois...
Chloe smoothed down her suit skirt and straightened up as she walked up the stairs to the Peoria Daily Dispatch. Drawing in a deep breath, she lifted her chin and walked through the doors with more confidence than she actually felt. She smiled at the pretty brunette at the front desk. "Hi. I'm Chloe Sullivan. I'm here to inquire about doing some freelance writing."
"Then you've come to the right place, I suppose, "Ava Wilson replied from behind the desk, her masked in a professionalism she rarely felt. She pulled her hair out of her face and stood up to shake the other woman's hand. "Name's Ava Wilson. I'm the humble secretary." She smiled briefly.
Her smile widened a little. "Nice to meet you."
Ava nodded and moved back to her seat. Grabbing an application, she handed it to Chloe. "So, Ms. Sullivan, if you'd just fill this out, I'll have one of the editors speak with you about the freelance work." She leaned forward. "The pay's not worth it, but it's better than nothing, right?"
Chloe looked down. "Yeah, it is," she said softly, tucking some hair behind her ear as she pulled out a pen.
"Get comfortable," she said and pointed to a table and plush chair. "The application's long... and the interview longer."
"Great combination," she joked, taking the application and moving over to the table. "Thanks."
"No problem," Ava replied and watched the blonde head for the table. She sighed inwardly, feeling another damn headache coming on, and answered the ringing phone, a fake smile plastered on her face.
&&&&&
Twenty minutes later when she'd completed the application, Chloe returned it to the desk. "Hey, is there a restroom I can use?"
Her fingers rubbing her temple, Ava looked up and saw Chloe. "Yeah, down the hall, first door on the left," she muttered and took her application. "I'll go take this to Mr. Wilson."
"Thanks," Chloe said, offering her a small smile before heading away.
Ava struggled to her feet, application in hand, and took a step towards the assistant editor's office. She nearly tripped over her feet, however, when her vision abruptly went fuzzy and she felt like her head was being split in two with a sledge-hammer. Sinking to her knees, Ava bit her lip to keep from screaming from the myriad of images running through her mind like a stampede of elephants.
She saw a man, the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome, though there was so much more to him than that. He was a leader, brave, fearless... invincible. Leading an army of some kind. She saw flashes of faces, including her own, standing alongside this... hero. Several other figures stood dressed in costumes with this Chloe Sullivan and a man who looked a lot like the leader of the pack. She shuddered as another face came into view: distorted and evil. Yellow eyes glistened against the pale skin. The view shifted again, presenting Ava with a glimpse of the yellow eyed guy's army. It was an army, she somehow knew that, and it was set to attack the small band of people on the other side of the small cemetery. Where she stood.
The vision ended with armies dashing towards each other before she regained her focus. Ava felt her face drenched in sweat, her legs too shaky to support herself. So she sat back against her desk and tried hard not to weep.
Chloe returned a few moments later, not spotting the pretty woman at the desk as she moved to sit back down at the table once more, swallowing hard. She thought of Lois, and wondered if her cousin was doing well. That line of thinking led her straight to Clark and she flinched, her face paling. The guilt she felt immediately after was all-consuming. So powerful and overwhelming, she felt like she was going to throw up.
Stumbling to her feet once more, she quickly headed for the exit, tears prickling at her eyes.
Ava rolled her head around in time to see Chloe heading for the exit. "Wait," she said hoarsely. "Don't go." She tried to get to her feet and nearly fell back onto the floor.
She paused, turning to look over her shoulder. A worried frown creased her brow. "Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but your life's in danger." The words left her lips before Ava knew what she was saying. She grabbed a hold of the desk and wrenched herself onto her feet. Fearful eyes glanced at Chloe, and it was then she noticed the unshed tears. "Hey, you okay?"
I usually am, she thought wryly. "Yeah, I'm fine. And what do you mean?"
Ava quickly looked around the office, her eyes filled with intense fear. "You're going to think I'm nuts," she said under her breath.
Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Somehow I doubt that."
She sniggered under her breath and grabbed Chloe's arm. "Can't tell you in here. I'll lose my job," she whispered and ushered them outside, past her boss's window, and to the side of the building.
She frowned and waited for the other woman to tell her what she meant. "All right, we're outside. Spill."
Ava grimaced. "I saw... something, and I don't get it at all because I'm in the vision and since when was there a literal war between good and evil anyway?"
She stared at her for a moment. "Vision," she echoed in a whisper.
"Yeah, one of those," Ava nodded quickly. "I saw this tall guy who was leading a bunch of... okay, weird looking people dressed up like superheros, like it was Halloween or something, and I was a part of that..." She stopped at the pensive look on Chloe's face. "Why isn't this freaking you out?"
Her face paling a little, she swallowed hard. Ava was completely wrong. Chloe was freaked out, but not from the reasons the other girl probably assumed. "Wow. So you're one of the gifted children," she murmured.
"The... what now?" she asked, incredulous. What was this girl talking about?
"Look, this is...not what I expected but...there are other people like you, who have...talents that others don't have." She gazed at Ava intently.
"Talents?" she huffed. "You call blinding headaches and weird, freaky visions a talent?" She looked around and wiped the remnants of sweat off her forehead. "Is that tall good-looking guy I saw part of this talented group?"
"Sam," Chloe murmured, knowing instantly who she was talking about.
"His name is Sam?" Ava made a strange face. "And who's the dude who looks like him?"
She flinched a little. "His brother."
Ava slowly felt some sort of awareness creep into her mind. "Wait a second. You know these two, don't you? Of course you do. You were in my vision and about to be mauled by some... thing." She sighed and closed her eyes.
"Wait. I was with them in your vision?" There was a hint of surprise in her voice.
She threw up her hands. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Chloe! You were standing next to the brother, and these people, or maybe they weren't people, I dunno... they were rushing you. We're in this cemetery somewhere."
She was silent for a moment, raking a hand through her short blonde hair.
Ava chuckled to herself, a short laugh of defeat. "See? You think I'm nuts, but I just thought you should know... apparently we're going to be in some kind of battle together. Whatever the hell that means."
"I don't think you're nuts," she said quietly, looking at her once more.
"Then... wait, you're actually buying this?"
A short, wry chuckle escaped her. "If you knew anything about my life...." She shook her head a little. "This would seem normal in comparison."
Ava paled for a moment and stared at the other woman. "Okay," she said shakily, "I'm going back inside now. You still want that interview?" Yeah, right, she thought. Like making like everything was normal was going to make everything okay. Yeah, ignore the fear creeping into your heart. Great idea.
"I think we have more important things to worry about now," she said mildly.
Ava shuddered. "Like what?"
"Like the yellow-eyed demon."
"Oh God, you mean that... the guy..." Ava's arms flailed as she spoke, "the dude with the yellow eyes is... real? And a demon?" She could hardly believe her ears. "Who are you?"
"Chloe Sullivan," she answered grimly.
She smirked. "And you know demons are real?"
"Demons, ghosts and everything in between."
Ava felt her legs give out from beneath her and sagged against the wall. "Feels like I'm in the Twilight Zone," she muttered.
"Welcome to my life," she said with a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Great, just great," she mumbled. "First Brady takes off and leaves me, now... this." She moved her hand indicating nothing in general and sighed heavily. "Now what?"
She offered Ava a sympathetic smile. "Tell you what. Why don't we meet somewhere after you're done with work? I can fill you in."
Ava nodded mutely. "You know... the... cafe... on the... corner?" she panted and pointed towards the street. Her voice was as shaky as her face pale.
Chloe looked down the road and nodded a little, then turned back to her, resting a hand on her arm. "Take a couple deep breaths."
"Trying," she whispered and breathed deeply. "Still trying to grasp demons are real." She glanced at Chloe.
"Yeah. It's not easy. I know." Her voice was quiet.
Ava laughed. This felt so unreal. She wasn't sure she wanted to go through what she saw. "I'll be there at four, okay?" she said and lifted herself from the wall.
"Yeah, okay. I'll see you then." She watched as the brunette disappeared back inside the newspaper building before exhaling slowly, feeling overwhelmed. She'd run in an attempt to leave her guilt behind and instead fate had found it funny to throw her right back into the middle of the upcoming war. Swallowing hard, she leaned against the wall for a moment, shutting her eyes.
&&&&&
Chloe's trail went cold around Omaha, Nebraska, much to Dean's irritation and fear. He knew she'd stopped using anything he could use to track her. Damn woman was too resourceful for her own good, he grumbled inwardly. He had obviously taught her well. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as his face baked in the warm Nebraska sun. He put the brake on and stepped off, his feet making a beeline for the restaurant. He flipped his cell open and dialed Sam's number.
"Dean?" Sam answered before the phone finished the first full ring.
"Dude, she's vanished."
He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, not surprised at that news. "What can I do?"
"Get your butt online and see if she's written anything recently," he replied, his voice dead.
"Got it," he answered without hesitation, flickering a glance to his wife, who sat in a comfy chair, curled up with one of Bobby's spell books.
Sarah.
The distinctly familiar voice startled Sarah so badly she nearly dropped the book on the floor. Papers went flying everywhere as she tried to get a hold of herself. "Chloe?" she said loudly without thinking.
Sam's eyes widened a little. "Dean, hold on a minute."
Yeah, it's me. Her voice was tired. I just wanted to let you know I'm safe.
"I don't want to hold on, dammit!" he shrieked on the other line.
Sarah shook her head towards Sam. Chloe, please tell us where you are, she silently pleaded and shut her mind off to Sam. Dean's looking for you, and we're all so worried about you.
I can't. Not yet. But I'm all right. I miss you. Are you all right?
Sarah sighed and pinched her nose. Yeah. Getting ready to do this protection spell, but Sam and I'd feel better if you and Dean were here.
I'm sorry, she thought sadly, shutting her eyes.
Don't be sorry, Sarah thought and met Sam's eyes. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't you.
It was my body. Chloe swallowed hard.
But something else was controlling your body, right?
It doesn't matter, Sarah. It used me to hurt Dean and I can't...forget that.
Chloe, whatever happened... Dean's out there. Looking for you. He's on the phone with Sam now.
"Sam!" Dean shouted, sensing something was wrong. The other line was deadly silent, and he wondered if the call had been dropped.
"Sarah's talking to Chloe," he whispered into the phone.
Sarah, I slept with Clark. Tears filled Chloe's eyes.
Dean paled. "Talking with her?" Part of him was relieved to find out she had at least contacted one of them, but at the same time, his mental questions and demands had been met with silence. And it pissed him off to no end. Anger... covering up his intense hurt.
Sarah covered her mouth to keep from saying anything out loud. Meg had used Chloe's body to do the one thing she knew might turn Dean from her. Clark. She sucked in a surprised breath and shook her head. No, Chloe, you didn't. That was Meg, she protested.
It doesn't matter. A tear trickled down her cheek. She was in my body. How am I supposed to ever look Dean in the eye again? She drew in a shuddering breath. Take care of yourselves. I'm still in this battle. Just...in a different capacity.
Sarah thought about telling her how Dean had left after her, how he had scared her with the sheer violent determination in his eyes when he'd discovered Chloe was gone. But she didn't. When Dean found Chloe, that would be something for them to discuss. Wait, Chloe, where are you? What capacity?
Her words were met with silence.
Sarah cried out and looked up at Sam. "She's okay, but... she won't tell me where she is," she stammered.
Sam drew in a breath. "Dean, she's okay. But she wouldn't tell Sarah where she was."
Figures. "Great, fucking fantastic, Sam. How the hell am I supposed to look for her if the trail's gone cold?"
"At least we know she's okay," he said gently.
"Not good enough for me," he bit out, feeling like he was being strangled. He needed to see her, face to face, take her into his arms and try in his own way to tell her things were okay. But hadn't he already tried that, and hadn't she run off anyway? He slumped down in the seat -- a booth in the restaurant -- and sighed. "Please do your online thing, Sammy," he whispered, defeated.
"I will. I'll call you the minute I have anything." Sam hesitated a moment. "Stay safe."
"I will. You and Sarah... just... take care."
"We will," he promised quietly. "I'll talk to you soon."
Dean merely nodded and hung up the phone, his head bowed in defeat. It was pretty damn clear she didn't want to see him, couldn't accept that he'd forgiven her, though she obviously wasn't going to forgive herself. He was so lost in thought that he nearly forgot to order something to eat.
Like it or not, he would find Chloe Sullivan. And when he did, he'd make sure she never left again.
&&&&&
Chloe showed up at the diner fifteen minutes early, though she was half-afraid Ava was too freaked out to actually make an appearance. If that was the case, she was going to have to do some research to track the other woman down and convince her to help in the fight of good against evil. Taking a deep breath, she settled herself in a booth with a latte, her nerves rattled from her mental conversation with Sarah a few hours before. Dean was looking for her. Which didn't actually surprise her. It was only a matter of time before he tracked her down if she didn't keep moving. Right now it was a chance she was going to have to risk.
She sipped her drink, letting her eyes close momentarily and wincing as an image of Clark's naked body flashed into her mind as he hovered over her. She shuddered and then swallowed hard when she remembered the devastated, horrified look on Dean's face. Her stomach knotted and she set her mug down, resting her head in her hands for a moment.
The demon had known exactly how to hurt Dean the most and had used her to do it. The idea that, at any point, another demon could do the same thing, could get inside her and take possession of her body, do things to hurt the people she loved the most terrified her. If Dean hadn't figured it out when he had, what else would Meg have forced her to do? She could've killed Sarah or the baby or Sam or even Dean. And that was too much to think about. Shaking her head a little, her face pale, she looked up as the bell above the door jangled.
Ava stepped with trepidation through the front door to the small restaurant and asked herself for the millionth time why she was even here. The vision... it'd been a fluke, right? And the ones before this one, all coincidental. No way she was a part of something bigger. She swallowed hard when she found Chloe seated and waiting for her, a large coffee sitting in front of her. She mustered a smile slid into the seat across from her. "Hey."
"Hey," she said, gazing at the brunette intently. "You want some coffee?"
She nodded mutely and glanced at the waitress for another cup of coffee. Tried as she might, Ava couldn't muster a single word.
Chloe was quiet as the waitress came over and poured the other woman some coffee. Then she drew in a deep breath and gazed at her evenly. "How long have you been having your visions?"
She thought about not answering the other woman's question. And maybe she wouldn't have, had Chloe herself not been in her latest vision. "Just over a year," she said under her breath, her words dying away quickly as she took a sip of coffee.
"So you're twenty-three?"
"Yeah... what's so important about my age?"
"Twenty-two is when the...gifted...people start getting their abilities."
Ava shook her head, incredulous. "Gifted? Huh? You know more people like this or something?"
"Yeah. I do." Chloe held her gaze, felt her disbelief and fear. "Listen, there are other people like you. Some of them have the same abilities, others have... different ones. But you all..." She paused as it dawned on her what she was dealing with. Sucking in a breath, she rested her hands on the table in front of her. "Are very special," she finished in a whisper.
The mug in Ava's hands fell onto the table, a hard thunk. "Yeah, right," she snorted quietly. "Special equals freakish. I get it." She looked around. "Where are the men with the straitjacket?"
"Not freakish." Chloe leaned toward her. "Do you believe in angels?"
What a strange question, she thought and met Chloe's gaze. "Uh, I guess so. Why ask?"
"Because you are one," she said seriously.
Ava blinked hard. Once. Twice. And then her mouth fell open, shock spread across her face like she had been slapped. "What?" she whispered when her tongue no longer felt as thick as cotton. "Maybe the men with the straitjackets are here for you, Chloe, because that's impossible!"
"No, it's not." Chloe was quiet for a moment. "Good and evil both exist. Literally."
"They might exist, but last time I checked, angels didn't get skull-splitting headaches."
"They do if they're only half-angel." She drew in a breath. "And the headaches will eventually go away, once you start getting the visions under control."
"Yeah, because it's a snap to control them," she laughed sarcastically.
"I didn't say that. It takes time and concentration, but it can be done. I've seen someone do it."
"Really? And who was that, the Archangel Gabriel?" She didn't know why she felt the need to snap Chloe's head off, but at the same time, what she was suggesting was ridiculous.
"No. His name is Sam and he's a friend of mine," she said without losing her calm tone.
Ava nodded blindly and stood up abruptly, tossing a bill on the tabletop for her coffee. "This is too... weird for me. I'm going to go." She scooted out of the booth.
"Ava, wait." She stood up quickly, catching the brunette's arm. "Listen to me. I need your help."
"Help with what?" Her voice was high in her throat, and she forced herself to remain calm. "You're telling me that I'm having these visions for a reason, that I'm part angel? That your friend... Sam... is like me? How can I possibly help?"
"Because something is coming and whether you like it or not, you're a part of that."
"And what if I don't want to be a part of it?" Ava asked flatly.
"I get that," Chloe whispered, looking down at the floor. "But I don't think you really have a choice anymore than I do."
"Whatever," she retorted and yanked out of Chloe's grip. "You always have a choice." She turned on her heel and stalked towards the door.
She shut her eyes, threw money on the table to cover her own drink, and slowly headed out the door.
Ava ignored Chloe as she made her way towards her car. She looked up into the sky and shuddered at the thought that she was a part of something larger than herself. It was unthinkable. Her parents were normal... right?
Deciding to let it rest for the time being, Chloe started across the street toward the bus stop, pausing momentarily when a cold chill ran down her spine. Shuddering, she turned just in time to see the blackest pair of eyes imaginable glaring at her as she found herself flying back through the air and into the side of the building.
Ava heard a loud scream of surprise and pain and turned to see Chloe shoot through the air like an arrow. Shocked and scared out of her mind, she nonetheless scrambled across the street towards the seemingly lifeless girl. She didn't notice the looming dark figure in the shadows until it was almost too late.
Hard, cold fingers grasped her throat tightly and began to squeeze. She choked and sputtered, gasping for breath. "Help," she panted.
Struggling to her feet, Chloe was at her side quickly, pulling a small revolver from her purse and shooting the figure choking her. The demon stumbled backwards from the rock salt, hissing. "Get the hell away from her," she said darkly.
"Never," the thing rumbled maniacally. "She's good as dead." Its grasp on Ava's throat tightened marginally, though another couple rounds of rocksalt loosened its grip. She slid to the ground, the wind momentarily knocked out of her.
"Wh... what...?" Ava whimpered and struggled to her feet.
"Stay down," Chloe commanded, lifting her chin and holding her gun at the demon's head. "I think you've got that the other way around."
The demon, encased within a tall, broad shouldered man, laughed. "Really? You're a million miles from the ones you profess to love. You did a great job splitting up that fucked up family." He lunged towards Chloe, hands aiming for her throat.
Her own eyes darkened as the remark stung and she pulled the trigger, rock salt hitting him square in the face. "Fuck you."
The thing hissed and fell to its knees, but a sharp laugh burst from its lips. "No, I'll leave that to Meg when she inhabits your body again."
Ava had no idea what was going on, but this... guy... was really pissing her off. "Hey, Bucko, you're a real ass, you know that?" She took a couple steps and cocked the guy in the balls with her foot.
The thing keeled over and howled in pain.
"Thanks," Chloe said with a faint smirk as she glanced at Ava, quickly digging through her purse and pulling out a charm. "This should contain you for awhile." She dropped it on his chest and chuckled when he hissed in pain. "Holy water inside the vial. Demon's hate it."
If demons had a smell, Ava would say they smelled like the brimstone from Hell. Not that she'd ever smelled that before. It nonetheless didn't prevent her stomach from heaving in response to the smoky thing plastered on the ground. "So this is going to sound stupid but... what do you do with... that?" She pointed helplessly toward the demon.
She glanced around. "Perform an exorcism," she responded grimly.
Ava blanched. She'd seen "The Exorcism", watched the girl's head spinning backwards and projectile vomit. Didn't sleep for days after that. "Wait, here? Now?"
"Unfortunately I don't have much choice. There's no way we can get him to go somewhere else voluntarily and unless you have super strength--" Chloe winced suddenly at the fleeting thought of Clark.
The demon had obviously seen Chloe's momentary pause, because it grabbed one of her legs and tried tossing her to the ground. Ava tipped the bottle of holy water back in Chloe's hand and put the thing back in its place. "What do you need?" she asked, unsure any of this was happening.
She flinched as her first thought was Dean. Swallowing hard, she lifted her chin. "A streak of good luck for a change," she grumbled.
Fic 19: Guide You Home
Authors: xtremeroswellia and clarksmuse
Rated: NC-17
Disclaimer: SO not ours. But we still dream!!
Peoria, Illinois...
Chloe smoothed down her suit skirt and straightened up as she walked up the stairs to the Peoria Daily Dispatch. Drawing in a deep breath, she lifted her chin and walked through the doors with more confidence than she actually felt. She smiled at the pretty brunette at the front desk. "Hi. I'm Chloe Sullivan. I'm here to inquire about doing some freelance writing."
"Then you've come to the right place, I suppose, "Ava Wilson replied from behind the desk, her masked in a professionalism she rarely felt. She pulled her hair out of her face and stood up to shake the other woman's hand. "Name's Ava Wilson. I'm the humble secretary." She smiled briefly.
Her smile widened a little. "Nice to meet you."
Ava nodded and moved back to her seat. Grabbing an application, she handed it to Chloe. "So, Ms. Sullivan, if you'd just fill this out, I'll have one of the editors speak with you about the freelance work." She leaned forward. "The pay's not worth it, but it's better than nothing, right?"
Chloe looked down. "Yeah, it is," she said softly, tucking some hair behind her ear as she pulled out a pen.
"Get comfortable," she said and pointed to a table and plush chair. "The application's long... and the interview longer."
"Great combination," she joked, taking the application and moving over to the table. "Thanks."
"No problem," Ava replied and watched the blonde head for the table. She sighed inwardly, feeling another damn headache coming on, and answered the ringing phone, a fake smile plastered on her face.
&&&&&
Twenty minutes later when she'd completed the application, Chloe returned it to the desk. "Hey, is there a restroom I can use?"
Her fingers rubbing her temple, Ava looked up and saw Chloe. "Yeah, down the hall, first door on the left," she muttered and took her application. "I'll go take this to Mr. Wilson."
"Thanks," Chloe said, offering her a small smile before heading away.
Ava struggled to her feet, application in hand, and took a step towards the assistant editor's office. She nearly tripped over her feet, however, when her vision abruptly went fuzzy and she felt like her head was being split in two with a sledge-hammer. Sinking to her knees, Ava bit her lip to keep from screaming from the myriad of images running through her mind like a stampede of elephants.
She saw a man, the stereotypical tall, dark, and handsome, though there was so much more to him than that. He was a leader, brave, fearless... invincible. Leading an army of some kind. She saw flashes of faces, including her own, standing alongside this... hero. Several other figures stood dressed in costumes with this Chloe Sullivan and a man who looked a lot like the leader of the pack. She shuddered as another face came into view: distorted and evil. Yellow eyes glistened against the pale skin. The view shifted again, presenting Ava with a glimpse of the yellow eyed guy's army. It was an army, she somehow knew that, and it was set to attack the small band of people on the other side of the small cemetery. Where she stood.
The vision ended with armies dashing towards each other before she regained her focus. Ava felt her face drenched in sweat, her legs too shaky to support herself. So she sat back against her desk and tried hard not to weep.
Chloe returned a few moments later, not spotting the pretty woman at the desk as she moved to sit back down at the table once more, swallowing hard. She thought of Lois, and wondered if her cousin was doing well. That line of thinking led her straight to Clark and she flinched, her face paling. The guilt she felt immediately after was all-consuming. So powerful and overwhelming, she felt like she was going to throw up.
Stumbling to her feet once more, she quickly headed for the exit, tears prickling at her eyes.
Ava rolled her head around in time to see Chloe heading for the exit. "Wait," she said hoarsely. "Don't go." She tried to get to her feet and nearly fell back onto the floor.
She paused, turning to look over her shoulder. A worried frown creased her brow. "Hey, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but your life's in danger." The words left her lips before Ava knew what she was saying. She grabbed a hold of the desk and wrenched herself onto her feet. Fearful eyes glanced at Chloe, and it was then she noticed the unshed tears. "Hey, you okay?"
I usually am, she thought wryly. "Yeah, I'm fine. And what do you mean?"
Ava quickly looked around the office, her eyes filled with intense fear. "You're going to think I'm nuts," she said under her breath.
Chloe narrowed her eyes. "Somehow I doubt that."
She sniggered under her breath and grabbed Chloe's arm. "Can't tell you in here. I'll lose my job," she whispered and ushered them outside, past her boss's window, and to the side of the building.
She frowned and waited for the other woman to tell her what she meant. "All right, we're outside. Spill."
Ava grimaced. "I saw... something, and I don't get it at all because I'm in the vision and since when was there a literal war between good and evil anyway?"
She stared at her for a moment. "Vision," she echoed in a whisper.
"Yeah, one of those," Ava nodded quickly. "I saw this tall guy who was leading a bunch of... okay, weird looking people dressed up like superheros, like it was Halloween or something, and I was a part of that..." She stopped at the pensive look on Chloe's face. "Why isn't this freaking you out?"
Her face paling a little, she swallowed hard. Ava was completely wrong. Chloe was freaked out, but not from the reasons the other girl probably assumed. "Wow. So you're one of the gifted children," she murmured.
"The... what now?" she asked, incredulous. What was this girl talking about?
"Look, this is...not what I expected but...there are other people like you, who have...talents that others don't have." She gazed at Ava intently.
"Talents?" she huffed. "You call blinding headaches and weird, freaky visions a talent?" She looked around and wiped the remnants of sweat off her forehead. "Is that tall good-looking guy I saw part of this talented group?"
"Sam," Chloe murmured, knowing instantly who she was talking about.
"His name is Sam?" Ava made a strange face. "And who's the dude who looks like him?"
She flinched a little. "His brother."
Ava slowly felt some sort of awareness creep into her mind. "Wait a second. You know these two, don't you? Of course you do. You were in my vision and about to be mauled by some... thing." She sighed and closed her eyes.
"Wait. I was with them in your vision?" There was a hint of surprise in her voice.
She threw up her hands. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Chloe! You were standing next to the brother, and these people, or maybe they weren't people, I dunno... they were rushing you. We're in this cemetery somewhere."
She was silent for a moment, raking a hand through her short blonde hair.
Ava chuckled to herself, a short laugh of defeat. "See? You think I'm nuts, but I just thought you should know... apparently we're going to be in some kind of battle together. Whatever the hell that means."
"I don't think you're nuts," she said quietly, looking at her once more.
"Then... wait, you're actually buying this?"
A short, wry chuckle escaped her. "If you knew anything about my life...." She shook her head a little. "This would seem normal in comparison."
Ava paled for a moment and stared at the other woman. "Okay," she said shakily, "I'm going back inside now. You still want that interview?" Yeah, right, she thought. Like making like everything was normal was going to make everything okay. Yeah, ignore the fear creeping into your heart. Great idea.
"I think we have more important things to worry about now," she said mildly.
Ava shuddered. "Like what?"
"Like the yellow-eyed demon."
"Oh God, you mean that... the guy..." Ava's arms flailed as she spoke, "the dude with the yellow eyes is... real? And a demon?" She could hardly believe her ears. "Who are you?"
"Chloe Sullivan," she answered grimly.
She smirked. "And you know demons are real?"
"Demons, ghosts and everything in between."
Ava felt her legs give out from beneath her and sagged against the wall. "Feels like I'm in the Twilight Zone," she muttered.
"Welcome to my life," she said with a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Great, just great," she mumbled. "First Brady takes off and leaves me, now... this." She moved her hand indicating nothing in general and sighed heavily. "Now what?"
She offered Ava a sympathetic smile. "Tell you what. Why don't we meet somewhere after you're done with work? I can fill you in."
Ava nodded mutely. "You know... the... cafe... on the... corner?" she panted and pointed towards the street. Her voice was as shaky as her face pale.
Chloe looked down the road and nodded a little, then turned back to her, resting a hand on her arm. "Take a couple deep breaths."
"Trying," she whispered and breathed deeply. "Still trying to grasp demons are real." She glanced at Chloe.
"Yeah. It's not easy. I know." Her voice was quiet.
Ava laughed. This felt so unreal. She wasn't sure she wanted to go through what she saw. "I'll be there at four, okay?" she said and lifted herself from the wall.
"Yeah, okay. I'll see you then." She watched as the brunette disappeared back inside the newspaper building before exhaling slowly, feeling overwhelmed. She'd run in an attempt to leave her guilt behind and instead fate had found it funny to throw her right back into the middle of the upcoming war. Swallowing hard, she leaned against the wall for a moment, shutting her eyes.
&&&&&
Chloe's trail went cold around Omaha, Nebraska, much to Dean's irritation and fear. He knew she'd stopped using anything he could use to track her. Damn woman was too resourceful for her own good, he grumbled inwardly. He had obviously taught her well. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as his face baked in the warm Nebraska sun. He put the brake on and stepped off, his feet making a beeline for the restaurant. He flipped his cell open and dialed Sam's number.
"Dean?" Sam answered before the phone finished the first full ring.
"Dude, she's vanished."
He drew in a breath and let it out slowly, not surprised at that news. "What can I do?"
"Get your butt online and see if she's written anything recently," he replied, his voice dead.
"Got it," he answered without hesitation, flickering a glance to his wife, who sat in a comfy chair, curled up with one of Bobby's spell books.
Sarah.
The distinctly familiar voice startled Sarah so badly she nearly dropped the book on the floor. Papers went flying everywhere as she tried to get a hold of herself. "Chloe?" she said loudly without thinking.
Sam's eyes widened a little. "Dean, hold on a minute."
Yeah, it's me. Her voice was tired. I just wanted to let you know I'm safe.
"I don't want to hold on, dammit!" he shrieked on the other line.
Sarah shook her head towards Sam. Chloe, please tell us where you are, she silently pleaded and shut her mind off to Sam. Dean's looking for you, and we're all so worried about you.
I can't. Not yet. But I'm all right. I miss you. Are you all right?
Sarah sighed and pinched her nose. Yeah. Getting ready to do this protection spell, but Sam and I'd feel better if you and Dean were here.
I'm sorry, she thought sadly, shutting her eyes.
Don't be sorry, Sarah thought and met Sam's eyes. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't you.
It was my body. Chloe swallowed hard.
But something else was controlling your body, right?
It doesn't matter, Sarah. It used me to hurt Dean and I can't...forget that.
Chloe, whatever happened... Dean's out there. Looking for you. He's on the phone with Sam now.
"Sam!" Dean shouted, sensing something was wrong. The other line was deadly silent, and he wondered if the call had been dropped.
"Sarah's talking to Chloe," he whispered into the phone.
Sarah, I slept with Clark. Tears filled Chloe's eyes.
Dean paled. "Talking with her?" Part of him was relieved to find out she had at least contacted one of them, but at the same time, his mental questions and demands had been met with silence. And it pissed him off to no end. Anger... covering up his intense hurt.
Sarah covered her mouth to keep from saying anything out loud. Meg had used Chloe's body to do the one thing she knew might turn Dean from her. Clark. She sucked in a surprised breath and shook her head. No, Chloe, you didn't. That was Meg, she protested.
It doesn't matter. A tear trickled down her cheek. She was in my body. How am I supposed to ever look Dean in the eye again? She drew in a shuddering breath. Take care of yourselves. I'm still in this battle. Just...in a different capacity.
Sarah thought about telling her how Dean had left after her, how he had scared her with the sheer violent determination in his eyes when he'd discovered Chloe was gone. But she didn't. When Dean found Chloe, that would be something for them to discuss. Wait, Chloe, where are you? What capacity?
Her words were met with silence.
Sarah cried out and looked up at Sam. "She's okay, but... she won't tell me where she is," she stammered.
Sam drew in a breath. "Dean, she's okay. But she wouldn't tell Sarah where she was."
Figures. "Great, fucking fantastic, Sam. How the hell am I supposed to look for her if the trail's gone cold?"
"At least we know she's okay," he said gently.
"Not good enough for me," he bit out, feeling like he was being strangled. He needed to see her, face to face, take her into his arms and try in his own way to tell her things were okay. But hadn't he already tried that, and hadn't she run off anyway? He slumped down in the seat -- a booth in the restaurant -- and sighed. "Please do your online thing, Sammy," he whispered, defeated.
"I will. I'll call you the minute I have anything." Sam hesitated a moment. "Stay safe."
"I will. You and Sarah... just... take care."
"We will," he promised quietly. "I'll talk to you soon."
Dean merely nodded and hung up the phone, his head bowed in defeat. It was pretty damn clear she didn't want to see him, couldn't accept that he'd forgiven her, though she obviously wasn't going to forgive herself. He was so lost in thought that he nearly forgot to order something to eat.
Like it or not, he would find Chloe Sullivan. And when he did, he'd make sure she never left again.
&&&&&
Chloe showed up at the diner fifteen minutes early, though she was half-afraid Ava was too freaked out to actually make an appearance. If that was the case, she was going to have to do some research to track the other woman down and convince her to help in the fight of good against evil. Taking a deep breath, she settled herself in a booth with a latte, her nerves rattled from her mental conversation with Sarah a few hours before. Dean was looking for her. Which didn't actually surprise her. It was only a matter of time before he tracked her down if she didn't keep moving. Right now it was a chance she was going to have to risk.
She sipped her drink, letting her eyes close momentarily and wincing as an image of Clark's naked body flashed into her mind as he hovered over her. She shuddered and then swallowed hard when she remembered the devastated, horrified look on Dean's face. Her stomach knotted and she set her mug down, resting her head in her hands for a moment.
The demon had known exactly how to hurt Dean the most and had used her to do it. The idea that, at any point, another demon could do the same thing, could get inside her and take possession of her body, do things to hurt the people she loved the most terrified her. If Dean hadn't figured it out when he had, what else would Meg have forced her to do? She could've killed Sarah or the baby or Sam or even Dean. And that was too much to think about. Shaking her head a little, her face pale, she looked up as the bell above the door jangled.
Ava stepped with trepidation through the front door to the small restaurant and asked herself for the millionth time why she was even here. The vision... it'd been a fluke, right? And the ones before this one, all coincidental. No way she was a part of something bigger. She swallowed hard when she found Chloe seated and waiting for her, a large coffee sitting in front of her. She mustered a smile slid into the seat across from her. "Hey."
"Hey," she said, gazing at the brunette intently. "You want some coffee?"
She nodded mutely and glanced at the waitress for another cup of coffee. Tried as she might, Ava couldn't muster a single word.
Chloe was quiet as the waitress came over and poured the other woman some coffee. Then she drew in a deep breath and gazed at her evenly. "How long have you been having your visions?"
She thought about not answering the other woman's question. And maybe she wouldn't have, had Chloe herself not been in her latest vision. "Just over a year," she said under her breath, her words dying away quickly as she took a sip of coffee.
"So you're twenty-three?"
"Yeah... what's so important about my age?"
"Twenty-two is when the...gifted...people start getting their abilities."
Ava shook her head, incredulous. "Gifted? Huh? You know more people like this or something?"
"Yeah. I do." Chloe held her gaze, felt her disbelief and fear. "Listen, there are other people like you. Some of them have the same abilities, others have... different ones. But you all..." She paused as it dawned on her what she was dealing with. Sucking in a breath, she rested her hands on the table in front of her. "Are very special," she finished in a whisper.
The mug in Ava's hands fell onto the table, a hard thunk. "Yeah, right," she snorted quietly. "Special equals freakish. I get it." She looked around. "Where are the men with the straitjacket?"
"Not freakish." Chloe leaned toward her. "Do you believe in angels?"
What a strange question, she thought and met Chloe's gaze. "Uh, I guess so. Why ask?"
"Because you are one," she said seriously.
Ava blinked hard. Once. Twice. And then her mouth fell open, shock spread across her face like she had been slapped. "What?" she whispered when her tongue no longer felt as thick as cotton. "Maybe the men with the straitjackets are here for you, Chloe, because that's impossible!"
"No, it's not." Chloe was quiet for a moment. "Good and evil both exist. Literally."
"They might exist, but last time I checked, angels didn't get skull-splitting headaches."
"They do if they're only half-angel." She drew in a breath. "And the headaches will eventually go away, once you start getting the visions under control."
"Yeah, because it's a snap to control them," she laughed sarcastically.
"I didn't say that. It takes time and concentration, but it can be done. I've seen someone do it."
"Really? And who was that, the Archangel Gabriel?" She didn't know why she felt the need to snap Chloe's head off, but at the same time, what she was suggesting was ridiculous.
"No. His name is Sam and he's a friend of mine," she said without losing her calm tone.
Ava nodded blindly and stood up abruptly, tossing a bill on the tabletop for her coffee. "This is too... weird for me. I'm going to go." She scooted out of the booth.
"Ava, wait." She stood up quickly, catching the brunette's arm. "Listen to me. I need your help."
"Help with what?" Her voice was high in her throat, and she forced herself to remain calm. "You're telling me that I'm having these visions for a reason, that I'm part angel? That your friend... Sam... is like me? How can I possibly help?"
"Because something is coming and whether you like it or not, you're a part of that."
"And what if I don't want to be a part of it?" Ava asked flatly.
"I get that," Chloe whispered, looking down at the floor. "But I don't think you really have a choice anymore than I do."
"Whatever," she retorted and yanked out of Chloe's grip. "You always have a choice." She turned on her heel and stalked towards the door.
She shut her eyes, threw money on the table to cover her own drink, and slowly headed out the door.
Ava ignored Chloe as she made her way towards her car. She looked up into the sky and shuddered at the thought that she was a part of something larger than herself. It was unthinkable. Her parents were normal... right?
Deciding to let it rest for the time being, Chloe started across the street toward the bus stop, pausing momentarily when a cold chill ran down her spine. Shuddering, she turned just in time to see the blackest pair of eyes imaginable glaring at her as she found herself flying back through the air and into the side of the building.
Ava heard a loud scream of surprise and pain and turned to see Chloe shoot through the air like an arrow. Shocked and scared out of her mind, she nonetheless scrambled across the street towards the seemingly lifeless girl. She didn't notice the looming dark figure in the shadows until it was almost too late.
Hard, cold fingers grasped her throat tightly and began to squeeze. She choked and sputtered, gasping for breath. "Help," she panted.
Struggling to her feet, Chloe was at her side quickly, pulling a small revolver from her purse and shooting the figure choking her. The demon stumbled backwards from the rock salt, hissing. "Get the hell away from her," she said darkly.
"Never," the thing rumbled maniacally. "She's good as dead." Its grasp on Ava's throat tightened marginally, though another couple rounds of rocksalt loosened its grip. She slid to the ground, the wind momentarily knocked out of her.
"Wh... what...?" Ava whimpered and struggled to her feet.
"Stay down," Chloe commanded, lifting her chin and holding her gun at the demon's head. "I think you've got that the other way around."
The demon, encased within a tall, broad shouldered man, laughed. "Really? You're a million miles from the ones you profess to love. You did a great job splitting up that fucked up family." He lunged towards Chloe, hands aiming for her throat.
Her own eyes darkened as the remark stung and she pulled the trigger, rock salt hitting him square in the face. "Fuck you."
The thing hissed and fell to its knees, but a sharp laugh burst from its lips. "No, I'll leave that to Meg when she inhabits your body again."
Ava had no idea what was going on, but this... guy... was really pissing her off. "Hey, Bucko, you're a real ass, you know that?" She took a couple steps and cocked the guy in the balls with her foot.
The thing keeled over and howled in pain.
"Thanks," Chloe said with a faint smirk as she glanced at Ava, quickly digging through her purse and pulling out a charm. "This should contain you for awhile." She dropped it on his chest and chuckled when he hissed in pain. "Holy water inside the vial. Demon's hate it."
If demons had a smell, Ava would say they smelled like the brimstone from Hell. Not that she'd ever smelled that before. It nonetheless didn't prevent her stomach from heaving in response to the smoky thing plastered on the ground. "So this is going to sound stupid but... what do you do with... that?" She pointed helplessly toward the demon.
She glanced around. "Perform an exorcism," she responded grimly.
Ava blanched. She'd seen "The Exorcism", watched the girl's head spinning backwards and projectile vomit. Didn't sleep for days after that. "Wait, here? Now?"
"Unfortunately I don't have much choice. There's no way we can get him to go somewhere else voluntarily and unless you have super strength--" Chloe winced suddenly at the fleeting thought of Clark.
The demon had obviously seen Chloe's momentary pause, because it grabbed one of her legs and tried tossing her to the ground. Ava tipped the bottle of holy water back in Chloe's hand and put the thing back in its place. "What do you need?" she asked, unsure any of this was happening.
She flinched as her first thought was Dean. Swallowing hard, she lifted her chin. "A streak of good luck for a change," she grumbled.
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Date: 2007-08-10 02:23 am (UTC)Ava is love! Glad she's not a baddy! I am excited to see what happens next!
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Date: 2007-08-10 05:55 pm (UTC)