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xtremeroswelliaTitle: The Last Betrayal
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Rating: R
Disclaimer: So not mine.
Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four and Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine (Conclusion)
The Last Betrayal (Chapter Seven)
By the time Dean and Clark arrived at the motel, Chloe had managed to climb off the bed and stumble into the bathroom with a little help from Sam, who gave her one of his shirts to wear. It was longer than the hospital gown, and much warmer, though her legs were still uncomfortably bare. She was pretty sure none of his jeans would fit her.
“Better?” he asked softly as she emerged from the bathroom, still looking haunted and on edge.
“Thanks,” she whispered, nodding a little and freezing when she saw the doorknob turning.
“Easy. It’s just Dean coming back.” He gently wound an arm around her shoulders.
She unconsciously shifted closer to him, as though ready to use him as a shield if it were someone other than his brother and Clark.
“Sammy?” Dean stepped inside, Clark at his heels.
“Chloe!” Clark quickly moved around the elder Winchester, his eyes wide as his gaze swept over her, shock registering on his face. “Oh my God.”
She flinched a little, not meeting his gaze.
“How ya doing?” Dean asked quietly, hanging back.
Chloe looked up at him. “I’m alive,” she whispered. For now.
Exchanging a look with his brother, Dean motioned toward the door. “We’re gonna run out and grab some food. We’ll be back.”
Sam hesitated a moment, looking down at Chloe. “We won’t be far.”
“Thanks.” Her voice was soft and she watched as they headed out the door, leaving her alone in the room with Clark.
He approached her, his face still registering shock at the sight of the state she was in. “What…what happened to you?” he whispered.
She was silent for a moment, slowly wrapping her arms around herself and still not meeting his gaze. “Lex Luthor,” she said dully.
“Chloe, what did he do to you? Has he had you all this time?”
“Yes.” She shut her eyes.
He stared at her. “But…you called. And…you sent me an email.”
“Lex made me call so you wouldn’t be suspicious. And I never sent you an email. I haven’t seen a computer in weeks, Clark.” Her voice was tired.
“This whole thing was one big setup.” The truth began to sink in slowly and Clark leaned against the wall. “How did he take you, Chloe? Where were you? What happened?”
Her head was already pounding with all the questions and she slowly moved to sit down on the bed. “He didn’t…exactly take me. I went with him.” Her voice was strained.
Clark shook his head. “Why would you do that? After everything--”
“Because I killed Lois!” A sob escaped her and she buried her face in her hands.
“What? What are you talking about? Lois isn’t dead. Chloe, you’re not making any sense.” He slowly moved over and sat down beside her.
“I saw her, Clark. She was dead on the floor. Because of my powers. I can’t control them.” Tears streaked down her cheeks.
Clark hesitantly put an arm around her, drawing her close. “Tell me what happened.”
She quickly filled him in on her ability to create things just by thinking about them. About the creature she’d summoned in a dream without even realizing it, how it had attacked and killed her cousin before Lex stopped it.
“Chloe.” His voice was barely audible. “That didn’t happen. Look at me.” He gently put a hand under her chin. “Lois isn’t dead. She’s fine. You didn’t do anything to hurt her. I just saw her a few hours ago.”
“But…” She stared at him with blurry eyed confusion.
“Lex must have drugged you. Maybe planted some kind of hypnotic suggestion that made you believe that so you’d go with him.” His eyes were sad. Guilt washed over him as he gently pulled her closer. “I should’ve known something was wrong.”
Chloe buried her face against his shoulder, a soft sob escaping her. She clutched his shirt. “She’s really okay?”
“She’s fine, Chloe. I swear to you. Lois is safe.” She cried softly against him as he held her, anger and fear vying for control of his emotions. “You’re hurt.”
“It coulda been worse.” She didn’t look up at him.
He wasn’t sure how, but he didn’t want to press her for details. Another thought occurred to him and he tensed involuntarily.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Clark swallowed hard. “I have to tell Lana. I have to get her away from him before it’s too late.”
Despite the hurt she felt, she knew he was right. “Go.” She pressed her hands against his chest and gently pushed him away.
“Chloe--”
“Clark, go. Make sure Lana’s safe. Get her away from him,” she whispered tiredly. “Don’t let her go back.”
He gazed at her with worried eyes. “I won’t. I promise.” He kissed the top of her head and slowly rose to his feet.
“Hurry, Clark,” Chloe whispered, slowly lying down on the bed and pressing her face against the pillow.
Clark took one last look at her, then sped away.
* * *
The sight that greeted Dean as he returned to the room a short while later both angered him and frightened him a little. Sam wasn’t back, Clark was gone, and Chloe lay curled up on the bed, crying softly into the pillow.
Crap.
Swallowing hard, he looked out the door, hoping to catch sight of his little brother, who was much better at dealing with crying women than he was. Realizing he was out of luck on that one, he slowly shut the door behind him, announcing his presence quietly so as not to frighten her. “Hey, I’m back. Brought some food. You like peanut M&Ms?”
She slowly struggled to sit up and then pain that flashed across her pale features made him wince.
He slowly made his way over to the bed, holding out the bag to her.
“Thanks,” she whispered, hesitantly taking one and popping it into her mouth.
“I’m sure Sammy’ll bring back actual good food. You look like you could use some.”
That was somewhat of an understatement. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a decent meal. For the most part they’d fed her stale cereal and not a lot of it. Her stomach growled hungrily and she looked down in embarrassment.
Dean smiled a little, and handed her the bag. “You need these more than I do.”
She swallowed hard, slowly taking the bag from him.
“This Luthor guy really did a number on you, didn’t he?” His voice was quiet, and he hesitantly touched her bruised cheek.
Chloe flinched, but didn’t respond.
“Yeah. I sorta suck at this whole sharing and caring thing. Not my forte. Sammy, though…sometimes I think he shoulda been a girl the way he likes to talk and crap.”
She looked at him sideways, a very tiny, amused smile forming on her lips.
“Seriously. In twenty-four hours I guarantee he’ll suggest we all watch Steel Magnolias over ice cream.”
A short, soft chuckle escaped her.
Dean grinned at the fact he’d gotten her to laugh. She had a pretty smile, even behind all the cuts and bruises. “Where’d Kent go, anyway?”
The smile faded and he cursed himself inwardly.
“To help a friend,” she said quietly.
“I think he already had one to help.”
“I’m safe.”
“Are you?”
She winced, slowly setting down the bag of M&Ms. No, she wasn’t. She never would be again. Lex would hunt her down no matter where she went or what she did. There was no safe. Not anymore.
“Sorry, it’s just…from what I know about this bastard, he’s relentless.”
“Yes, he is,” she whispered, shutting her eyes.
Dean was silent for a moment. “Look, my brother and me…we help people. It’s sorta what we do for a living. And we’re gonna help you. We’re gonna make sure you’re safe, all right?”
She tried to smile but didn’t quite manage it. When she spoke again, her voice was sad, drained. “There’s only one way to help me.”
He gazed at her intently. “How’s that?”
Swallowing hard, she shifted her gaze to meet his. “Kill me.”
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Rating: R
Disclaimer: So not mine.
Prologue | One | Two | Three | Four and Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine (Conclusion)
The Last Betrayal (Chapter Seven)
By the time Dean and Clark arrived at the motel, Chloe had managed to climb off the bed and stumble into the bathroom with a little help from Sam, who gave her one of his shirts to wear. It was longer than the hospital gown, and much warmer, though her legs were still uncomfortably bare. She was pretty sure none of his jeans would fit her.
“Better?” he asked softly as she emerged from the bathroom, still looking haunted and on edge.
“Thanks,” she whispered, nodding a little and freezing when she saw the doorknob turning.
“Easy. It’s just Dean coming back.” He gently wound an arm around her shoulders.
She unconsciously shifted closer to him, as though ready to use him as a shield if it were someone other than his brother and Clark.
“Sammy?” Dean stepped inside, Clark at his heels.
“Chloe!” Clark quickly moved around the elder Winchester, his eyes wide as his gaze swept over her, shock registering on his face. “Oh my God.”
She flinched a little, not meeting his gaze.
“How ya doing?” Dean asked quietly, hanging back.
Chloe looked up at him. “I’m alive,” she whispered. For now.
Exchanging a look with his brother, Dean motioned toward the door. “We’re gonna run out and grab some food. We’ll be back.”
Sam hesitated a moment, looking down at Chloe. “We won’t be far.”
“Thanks.” Her voice was soft and she watched as they headed out the door, leaving her alone in the room with Clark.
He approached her, his face still registering shock at the sight of the state she was in. “What…what happened to you?” he whispered.
She was silent for a moment, slowly wrapping her arms around herself and still not meeting his gaze. “Lex Luthor,” she said dully.
“Chloe, what did he do to you? Has he had you all this time?”
“Yes.” She shut her eyes.
He stared at her. “But…you called. And…you sent me an email.”
“Lex made me call so you wouldn’t be suspicious. And I never sent you an email. I haven’t seen a computer in weeks, Clark.” Her voice was tired.
“This whole thing was one big setup.” The truth began to sink in slowly and Clark leaned against the wall. “How did he take you, Chloe? Where were you? What happened?”
Her head was already pounding with all the questions and she slowly moved to sit down on the bed. “He didn’t…exactly take me. I went with him.” Her voice was strained.
Clark shook his head. “Why would you do that? After everything--”
“Because I killed Lois!” A sob escaped her and she buried her face in her hands.
“What? What are you talking about? Lois isn’t dead. Chloe, you’re not making any sense.” He slowly moved over and sat down beside her.
“I saw her, Clark. She was dead on the floor. Because of my powers. I can’t control them.” Tears streaked down her cheeks.
Clark hesitantly put an arm around her, drawing her close. “Tell me what happened.”
She quickly filled him in on her ability to create things just by thinking about them. About the creature she’d summoned in a dream without even realizing it, how it had attacked and killed her cousin before Lex stopped it.
“Chloe.” His voice was barely audible. “That didn’t happen. Look at me.” He gently put a hand under her chin. “Lois isn’t dead. She’s fine. You didn’t do anything to hurt her. I just saw her a few hours ago.”
“But…” She stared at him with blurry eyed confusion.
“Lex must have drugged you. Maybe planted some kind of hypnotic suggestion that made you believe that so you’d go with him.” His eyes were sad. Guilt washed over him as he gently pulled her closer. “I should’ve known something was wrong.”
Chloe buried her face against his shoulder, a soft sob escaping her. She clutched his shirt. “She’s really okay?”
“She’s fine, Chloe. I swear to you. Lois is safe.” She cried softly against him as he held her, anger and fear vying for control of his emotions. “You’re hurt.”
“It coulda been worse.” She didn’t look up at him.
He wasn’t sure how, but he didn’t want to press her for details. Another thought occurred to him and he tensed involuntarily.
“What is it?” she whispered.
Clark swallowed hard. “I have to tell Lana. I have to get her away from him before it’s too late.”
Despite the hurt she felt, she knew he was right. “Go.” She pressed her hands against his chest and gently pushed him away.
“Chloe--”
“Clark, go. Make sure Lana’s safe. Get her away from him,” she whispered tiredly. “Don’t let her go back.”
He gazed at her with worried eyes. “I won’t. I promise.” He kissed the top of her head and slowly rose to his feet.
“Hurry, Clark,” Chloe whispered, slowly lying down on the bed and pressing her face against the pillow.
Clark took one last look at her, then sped away.
* * *
The sight that greeted Dean as he returned to the room a short while later both angered him and frightened him a little. Sam wasn’t back, Clark was gone, and Chloe lay curled up on the bed, crying softly into the pillow.
Crap.
Swallowing hard, he looked out the door, hoping to catch sight of his little brother, who was much better at dealing with crying women than he was. Realizing he was out of luck on that one, he slowly shut the door behind him, announcing his presence quietly so as not to frighten her. “Hey, I’m back. Brought some food. You like peanut M&Ms?”
She slowly struggled to sit up and then pain that flashed across her pale features made him wince.
He slowly made his way over to the bed, holding out the bag to her.
“Thanks,” she whispered, hesitantly taking one and popping it into her mouth.
“I’m sure Sammy’ll bring back actual good food. You look like you could use some.”
That was somewhat of an understatement. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a decent meal. For the most part they’d fed her stale cereal and not a lot of it. Her stomach growled hungrily and she looked down in embarrassment.
Dean smiled a little, and handed her the bag. “You need these more than I do.”
She swallowed hard, slowly taking the bag from him.
“This Luthor guy really did a number on you, didn’t he?” His voice was quiet, and he hesitantly touched her bruised cheek.
Chloe flinched, but didn’t respond.
“Yeah. I sorta suck at this whole sharing and caring thing. Not my forte. Sammy, though…sometimes I think he shoulda been a girl the way he likes to talk and crap.”
She looked at him sideways, a very tiny, amused smile forming on her lips.
“Seriously. In twenty-four hours I guarantee he’ll suggest we all watch Steel Magnolias over ice cream.”
A short, soft chuckle escaped her.
Dean grinned at the fact he’d gotten her to laugh. She had a pretty smile, even behind all the cuts and bruises. “Where’d Kent go, anyway?”
The smile faded and he cursed himself inwardly.
“To help a friend,” she said quietly.
“I think he already had one to help.”
“I’m safe.”
“Are you?”
She winced, slowly setting down the bag of M&Ms. No, she wasn’t. She never would be again. Lex would hunt her down no matter where she went or what she did. There was no safe. Not anymore.
“Sorry, it’s just…from what I know about this bastard, he’s relentless.”
“Yes, he is,” she whispered, shutting her eyes.
Dean was silent for a moment. “Look, my brother and me…we help people. It’s sorta what we do for a living. And we’re gonna help you. We’re gonna make sure you’re safe, all right?”
She tried to smile but didn’t quite manage it. When she spoke again, her voice was sad, drained. “There’s only one way to help me.”
He gazed at her intently. “How’s that?”
Swallowing hard, she shifted her gaze to meet his. “Kill me.”
