Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural

Sequel to: Midas Touch

A/N: Slowly continuing towards romance.

Chloe – 16

Dean – 23

Lois – 20

Adam – 24

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

"Not that I don't understand why she wants to, but I don't want Mrs. Ross to move and take Pete with her." Chloe sighed as she leaned with her head against Dean's chest in the dark of the living room as they watched Dr. Sexy M.D.

"I don't blame her for wanting to leave this place." Dean mumbled, arm around the girl's shoulders, his fingers instinctively caressing her soft hair as he watched Dr. Sexy do his thing. "This whole "Freak of the Week" thing was bad enough when it was just the kids going all psycho, but Coach Arnold being a hotheaded pyro who was using his powers to terrorize and attack/punish the players? Jesus! That's just too much!"

"I still can't believe Pete nor Clark said anything about what they'd been going through." Chloe muttered darkly.

"To be honest I think they feel that they're suffering more now with that inept new coach of theirs." Dean snickered. "And anyway, the situation helped those two bond with Trevor, and after losing Sean to Goodnight he needed to make some new friends."

Phone buzzing, Chloe checked the message and chuckled at what she read before sending a long reply. When she was finished her phone was put away and she leaned against Dean once more.

"Who was that?" Dean asked, gaze going to the clock, wondering who in the world would be texting her this late.

"Lex." She replied with a shrug. "He's just checking in to see how we're doing."

"He's been in New York for the past two months, ever since his father died. So why is he still bothering you?" Dean grumbled, slouching harder into the sofa. "You'd think he'd be too busy running his damn empire or something."

"Lex isn't pestering me, and he needs a friend during these times." Chloe rubbed Dean's rock-hard abs in a soothing way, seeming to feel how tense he'd gotten at the mention of 'Young Master Luthor'. "Plus, it's thanks to him that we live in this gorgeous penthouse apartment. The least I can do is be his penpal."

"I don't have to like it."

"No, you don't." She agreed, leaning up to press a kiss to his stubbly cheek when she once again must have instinctively realized that his tension was growing. "But this whole protective thing's adorable, so I don't mind you not liking it."

"Adorable." He scoffed, not appreciating the description in the least bit, but could already feel his tension decreasing as she pressed yet another kiss to his cheek.

It awed him sometimes, how just a touch or a soft kiss from this girl could calm him when he started getting tense or downright furious.

It disturbed him how well she was getting to know him that no matter how hard he tried he couldn't keep his gut reactions from her.

It terrified him how used he'd gotten to her touchy-feely-ness and came to no longer just tolerate it, but actively expect it...anticipate it even.

On the screen, Dr. Sexy's sexy yet intrusive love interest moaned to her sexy yet arrogant best friend. "Why can't Dr. Fine just make a move on her already?"

"She's only interning and is under his supervision at that." The heart surgeon rolled her eyes. "It would just hurt his already sketchy reputation if he did. There's a reason he's called Dr. Fine-Ass and Dr. Homewrecker."

"But it's different with Kara." The pediatrician gave a little whimper and stomped her foot for emphasis. "He doesn't act with her the way he's always acted in the past with his many women. He watches out for her and sometimes just stares at her when she isn't looking."

"I've noticed that." The heart surgeon smirked. "And ever since he moved into her place, renting the extra room available after her roommate died of that mysterious, rare, and incurable disease-they've become so married-couple-like."

"So you agree with me!" The pediatrician exclaimed, eyes glistening, long, thick fake eyelashes batting rapidly. "He's in love with her!"

"But he doesn't realize it yet so nothing is going to happen." The all too confident and sexy Native American rolled her eyes. "He realizes that he's got a great thing going with her, but he thinks that what he feels is carnal lust-a normal reaction when a man in his prime lives with a beautiful young woman-and he's never been in love before so he doesn't understand the difference. He's not going to risk losing her and all they share by making a move on her."

The pediatrician pouted her large, silicone-filled lips as she sighed. "How can someone who's name is even "fine" be so emotionally deficient?" Her gaze went to where the doctor in question was walking next to Kara, the smile on his face turning to a dark scowl as they passed Greg, the lab technician who'd never kept his attraction for the statuesque blonde beauty a secret. "He sure is obvious though."

"Not to her he isn't." And with that, the doctors each received a page and hurried away to tend to whatever drama would move the plot along for this episode.

Dean cleared his throat. "Considering how much these people gossip, it's surprising that they have time to actually save any lives."

Chloe chuckled softly, rubbing his abs lazily.

The hunter closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation deeply.

The housemates contined watching as Dr. Sexy not only singlehandedly performed an emergency C-section on a large woman (who hadn't even realized she was pregnant) with all he had on him while they were trapped in the elevator, but also made it back in time to teach his sexy yet lacking in female skills colleague how to impress women by learning the steps to the modern tango.

"I'd really like to put Walker Texas Ranger, MacGyver, and Dr. Sexy in a Hunger Games battle and see who would win." Chloe declared. "MacGyver can turn anything into a weapon, Walker's whole body is a weapon...but ultimately Dr. Sexy would win."

"How do you figure that?" Dean asked curiously.

"Because with his dashing good looks and freaky-ass pheromones he'd unknowingly seduce them both and they'd kill each other over him." Chloe declared, quite amused and confident in this outcome, because if watching every season to date of Dr. Sexy M.D. had taught her anything it was that there wasn't a human alive (male or female) who could resist the doctor's sexiness. "I mean, come on, he's already turned three straight guys already on this show, even though he still doesn't seem to realize it."

"For a super genius who can somehow easily handle being both a Gynecologist and Cardiologist in a tremendously busy hospital-and who does every other sort of medical procedure every couple of episodes-I can't get how he doesn't get Randy the X-Ray dude is constantly hitting on him." Dean mumbled.

"It's just that some guys are so into women they are blind to men."

He snorted in derision. "Please. That's ridiculous."

She shook her head in amusement. "You're the same way."

"What?" Dean's eyes widened in horror. "I don't have any guy constantly hitting on me!"

"Bud." Chloe responded pointblank.

Dean scoffed, shaking his head. "He's one of the manliest men in this whole damn town. He hunts! And he's invited me to go with him next season!"

"You have such a stereotyped view of homosexual men. Not all of them are flamboyant." The blonde rolled her eyes. "Bud is one of the manliest men in Kansas, and he also so happens to be gay. You shouldn't assume that one thing contradicts the other."

"Yes ma'am." Dean saluted, amused yet properly chastised. "You know, the more I'm getting to know you, the mouthier you get."

The young woman pulled away enough to eye him curiously, eyebrow raised. "Is that a complaint?"

He smirked. "Just thinking you're a completely different person from the scared mouse I first saw in that diner in Hope."

"Maybe. Or maybe you're finally seeing the real me." She countered with a smile before lowering her head and sighing, her hair falling into her face and shadowing it from him. "When I was younger and my mom was still with us she used to...purify me...you know? But I could handle it because afterwards she'd be really nice and be really loving. It would only last for a couple of days until the 'filth' had returned, but I remember being so happy during those few days when she loved me."

Dean fought to keep his expression neutral, knowing how hard it was for her to tell him this.

"After she left...I was still such a kid...I kinda forgot for a while. I think that's what dad wanted, for me to forget and move on." She shrugged. "And then mom came back and...BOOM, Dr. Masters says that the event triggered my 'repressed memories' and that it was also that added trauma that screwed me up since she says that I never dealt with it."

Dean really didn't think much of Chloe's psychologist, but he could get how that could happen.

"Thing is, I think that even if I didn't actively remember, I subconsciously did, because I've always kept everyone at a distance. Even Lois. I can see how I was pushing her away little by little and how I never opened up to her and how I was in the wrong." The blonde gulped before continuing. "But I think I'm changing now, I'm-I'm starting to want to open up and not be so guarded." She flashed him a smile. "And that's the me that you're seeing now...the me that's confident that I can be myself with you and be accepted."

Dean gulped back the surge of emotion at that, awkward and not knowing how to respond, annoyed at how unawares she was constantly catching him.

On the screen, the pediatrician and heart surgeon somehow found the time in their busy schedules to stalk Dr. Fine and Kara, the pediatrician sighing romantically as she watched the two smiling at each other. "Awww! How can he not get that he's in love with her?"

Dean coughed, his gaze sliding to the side before forcing himself to return to her face, annoyed with himself. "I look forward to getting to know you then."

Chloe grinned brightly at him.

Relieved that he'd somehow managed to say the right thing and not make an ass out of himself, Dean grinned and pulled her back towards him as onscreen, Dr. Sexy saved the hospital by deactivating a bomb left in the maternity room.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

I am quite surprised to read that that was your first venture into the literary world. "Hallowed Ground" was well written, well paced, and I actually cared whether the three main characters made it out alive—which is sadly something rare when it comes to most 'horror' genres I've been reading of late.

Lois read the fan mail which had arrived for her "Hallowed Ground" story to the email account she'd placed in the "ABOUT THE AUTHOR" section. She'd never believed for one second that her vague collection of dreams would come together in a story that would end up on the Kindle Best Seller's list.

I know that the Lois character was both the main female character AND the Dean character's love interest, but I have to admit that I felt for the young Chloe character the most. I don't know if you fashioned her after someone you know who has suffered similar trauma, but having gone through a traumatic experience myself I felt that she was very well portrayed-as were her struggles. And added to that, I admit I enjoyed reading the interaction between Chloe and Dean. Maybe if she were a little older I'd be rooting for her and him...

Lois tilted her head to the side, surprised by that. She never would have imagined Dean and Chloe as ever having any sort of interest in each other in her dreams. Not only had the girl been way too young, but there'd been the attraction between Dream!Lois and the hunter (something she'd never really shared with Adam when telling him about the dreams). So it was interesting to hear someone who thought that Chloe and Dean had potential.

Not that they were real or anything.

Lois shook her head, having to remind herself over and over again that these were characters created by her subconscious and not living, breathing people. Sometimes she forgot that little detail. It worried her a little because what did that say about her sanity?

On a different note, I enjoyed the fact that you used the very real and very mysterious fiery destruction of Hope and gave us a fantastical (yet extremely entertaining) explanation for how that town was razed to the ground, and why.

The brunette frowned.

There'd been a real town called Hope that had been destroyed by a mysterious fire?

Seriously?

"So, I was thinking, maybe we should go away somewhere this weekend." Adam entered the room, tugging on his pants as he did so. "We haven't really spent time together in a while."

Lois looked up at him." Did you know that there was actually a real town named Hope that was mysteriously burnt to the ground?"

"Seriously? Go figure." Adam slung on a shirt. "See? I told you there had to be a rational explanation for your intensely detailed dreams. Obviously you saw the news coverage somewhere and your subconscious took the information and ran with it."

"You think?" She frowned, turning her gaze towards the email she'd received.

"Of course." He reached over and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "So, now that that mystery is solved, where would you like to go?"

The brunette thought it over, shrugging. "Where do you want to go?"

He grinned. "I was thinking: Las Vegas."

"Las Vegas." Lois took in a deep breath, forcing a smile on her face. "You in a gambling mood? Hiding an inheritance from me?"

He laughed, throwing himself on the bed next to her. "Leave everything in my hands, okay?"

"Mysterious." Lois laughed, shaking her head, trying to feel the excitement she should. "Las Vegas, huh?"

"Las Vegas." Adam echoed with a cheeky grin. "Money, alcohol, exotic dancers..."

"Why do I feel the exotic dancers are the highlight of that list?" Lois asked with wry smile as Adam grabbed the remote and turned on the television in time for her to see that they'd finished showing the previous episode of Dr. Sexy M.D. and were in the middle of the new one. "I almost missed it!"

Adam chuckled, settling himself onto the bed as Dr. Sexy strode into Seattle Mercy Hospital, his cowboy boots making a soft tapping noise against the tiles as he flipped his silky, chin-length dark hair. "I wonder who he's gonna turn gay this episode."

"Please, they can't keep turning guys gay-there won't be anyone left for the nurses to cheat with or on." Lois rolled her eyes, turning her attention to the screen.

The sexy, yet prejudiced Head Nurse spoke to one of the other nurses, eyeing one of their colleagues, who'd recently been in a very tragic (and rating's raising) accident. "I don't care if they think it's better not to fill her head with too many details, but I think that it's cruel not to fill her in on the fact that she's actually not really with Dr. Hotstuff like she thinks thanks to the brain injury she received."

"It's for the best." The other nurse, not half as sexy and definitely just a minor character who would never be seen again on the show, assured her with some spectacularly cardboard acting. "Dr. Fine told us that her mind can't take it right now. Anyway, I don't see what's wrong. I mean, she's happy, and he is hot. A girl can do worse."

"Dr. Fine might be a good man, but I don't trust a man who hangs around with the crowd he does, the lower class citizens." The Head Nurse turned up her nose. "It's wrong letting that poor woman live a lie just because she had that accident and her mind's fuzzy. She doesn't even remember her best friend!"

"Some best friend, she hasn't even really come to see her or help her remember." The nurse declared. "If you ask me, that sort of friend isn't worth it."

"That's being unfair." The woman scoffed. "She did come back to apologize to Dr. Lannister, but then Dr. Lannister went off on her saying how she didn't know her and how she should leave, and Cory just took it as her saying that because of their fight that Dr. Lannister was saying that. She thought Dr. Lannister was rejecting her. It's wrong that they let that friendship dissolve like that!"

The nurse frowned, badly, gaze going to where Dr. Lannister and Dr. Baron (or Hotstuff) were talking, the tension obviously there between them, and not the sexy kind. "It's all for the best."

"Says who?" The Head Nurse wanted to know before turning and walking away.

Lois frowned as the scene changed to Dr. Sexy and his sexy yet annoying love interest. "If I ever lost my memory and you knew that I had, you'd tell me, right?"

Adam raised an eyebrow. "Depends. Have we fought and I've been kicked to the sofa?"

Rolling her eyes, the brunette grabbed a cushion, slapping him over the head with it. "I'm being serious! Let's say I'm Dr. Lannister and you're Dr. Baron. And we're both in the exact same situation as they are. What do you do?"

Adam frowned as his gaze finally tore from the television to her face, thinking silently. "Hmmmm. Good question."

"You shouldn't have to think." She narrowed her eyes at him in disbelief. "You should tell me, without hesitation, that you would tell me the truth no matter what."

He looked at her and quickly spoke without hesitation. "I'd tell you the truth no matter what."

She was not amused. "I'm being serious."

"I know." Adam sighed, scratching the back of his head as he sat up and returned his gaze to the television screen. "But I find it hard to take it seriously when you're putting us in the middle of one of the most ridiculously dramatic shows ever created. I mean, things like that don't actually happen in reality."

Letting out a disappointed breath, Lois' dark hazels returned to the screen as well.

The duo watched the rest of the exaggeratedly dramatic show in utter silence.

-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-

TBC