Chapter 5
...breath that is like the strongest wind and the iciest storm... Eyes that can see far and through and beyond... can detect the tiniest flutter of an insects wing from miles away...
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Chloe spent her twenty-first birthday at her father's funeral.
The police had concluded that Gabriel Sullivan had triggered an electrical fire that set off an explosion while attempting to fix the air conditioner in the car. It was the only conclusion they could draw as the car was nearly dust. Smallville's fire department hadn't been very quick to arrive.
Chloe wondered if that was by design. She also wondered why he'd done it. Was it because she'd taken her orgasm and left him? Was it yet another way to break her down?
She couldn't have these things answered. Lex Luthor was conveniently out of town. Chloe almost didn't care where. She should. She should be following. Chloe didn't particularly care what she should be doing right now.
She wandered the cemetery after finally shaking Lois and Lucy. Instead of going at each other every second, they were both fussing over her. She'd rather be left alone.
It was October now, only a little more than a month after her return from Maine. The change in her belied the short time. From an optimistic girl who wanted to see good triumph to a woman who just wanted this to be over. She looked at Jonathon Kent's grave and heard her own voice. More people will live and be safe, Clark, because you were put on this earth. She wanted Clark so badly just then. He didn't even have to be hers. He just had to be there and save them all.
Chloe caught a movement to her left. A flash of blue in the trees. She followed it and found herself in a clearing. "Is it you?"
Violet stepped out and looked sadly at her. "I didn't want to come here today, but it's the only time." She leaned against a tree. "With him away, I had to take the chance. But I'm sorry to interrupt you on this day in particular."
Chloe shrugged. "What does it matter? I'd rather have answers than wallow."
Violet peered closely at her. "I'm sorry it happened that way in the solarium. You shouldn't have been subjected to it."
"I got away untouched." For the most part. Anything was worth the truth, but to have an orgasm at his hands and mouth. It shamed her more than anything.
"He's let up the surveillance on you. I believe he feels guilty, in his way."
She let out a harsh bark of laughter. "Why guilty? It was supposed to be me and not my father. Why didn't he just send someone to gun me down?"
"I don't think it was supposed to happen that way at all." She pulled a cassette tape from her bag. "This should answer more than one of your questions."
Chloe took it and glanced at it. It was labeled G.S.L. She placed it in her purse.
Violet stood and stared at her. "I won't be seeing you again."
"Why?"
"I... I've done what I can for your source, but my situation has changed." She smiled sadly. "I was once Chief Financial Officer at Luthercorp. When Lex took over, things changed. He'd barely listen to me and would have me bring him coffee. Treated me like a secretary. After a while, it stuck. But I took the step down to stay close. I thought that Lionel would regain control and things would be as they were." She shrugged. "But that was never fully realized. And now I've been replaced and reassigned."
Chloe stepped forward and placed her hand on the older woman's arm. "What happened?"
"My daughter. She's now working directly under Lex." She grimaced. "Possibly in more ways than one. I've been reassigned to the C.F.O. The man that has what was once my job. I won't have the access I had and, even so, I can't... I can't take any more humiliation. I'm retiring." She sighed. "Lex likes things to work according to his mindset. A woman has proper places there. Eve will be all I never was- obedient and unquestioning. And, of course, he had to put you where you belonged."
"How so?"
"He couldn't accept that you, a woman, were a threat. He had to bring you down and, finally, turn you into just another plaything in his mind." Violet embraced her. Chloe was surprised, but returned it. "Please don't let him succeed. You fight, not just against what he's doing, but for me. For all women."]
Chloe felt a tear running down her cheek. "I'll fight." Not for all women, really. Maybe... just for my father.
Violet pulled away and patted her shoulder. "My prayers are with you. Your source will be contacting you."
"Wait. What about the disc?"
"I.. I don't know. I took it, but I've heard nothing more about it. He doesn't seem to be missing it... not yet. That's another reason I should go. I've helped enough. I just want to live out the rest of my life in peace."
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Peace. Chloe wanted peace, too.
Chloe couldn't go back to her father's yet. She didn't even care that a tape was in her bag. Answers only made the sadness and worry greater. They could wait. So could Lois and Lucy.
They had moved everything to her father's house, but it wouldn't be for long. It was a Luthorcorp planned community. Every meter man was probably on his personal payroll. They wouldn't even be able to talk freely.
She took off her heels and walked the fields where things were ripe and lush, nearly ready for harvest. The sky was clear. The beauty of it all soothed her.
She laid down in the corn field and took a deep breath and let it out, hoping the tension and grief would go with it, leaving her clarity. She closed her eyes and waited for her mind to start clicking things together.
She'd made quite a few mistakes with Luthor. She shouldn't have played along at all. She'd thought it would help her get a little closer. It did, but not in the way she wanted. It placed her further on his radar and put her directly in his sights. When he'd sent the dress and ticket, she should have said no. She probably should have put him in his place right then. But she'd played along. And what had he done? Reduced her to a conquest, a plaything, then continued chipping away at her.
She'd always thought she was so clever. That she had all the answers. Now her father had paid the price for her pride.
What didn't fit was why Luthor had tried to kill her. She was nowhere near broken. And his constant leering at her around town had made her believe he was not down with her. She stood and looked east. She could see the Kent farm -- tiny, but there. Someone else was working the Kent land. Martha had arranged to sell their livestock as well and board the house. It was probably a shell with sheets on the furniture and mice running rampant. But she wanted to see it.
It was getting dark. She noticed that her feet were throbbing. They were probably too swollen for shoes right now, so she walked barefoot and took the pain. As she got closer, she saw a light. The lights were on in the kitchen.
She began running, letting rocks pierce her skin, tripping over fallen stalks. He was there. He was back. He hadn't left her for good.
"Clark!" she called as she left the fields and felt the smooth dirt of the driveway on her feet. "Clark!" she called again as the kitchen door grew closer. It opened and she felt like her heart might stop.
"Chloe?"
Martha Kent caught her as she lurched forward.
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She sat in the easy chair. The one that had been Jonathon Kent's, but was unofficially hers during her stay there. Her feet were in a plastic tub of warm water and Martha was coming from the kitchen with cocoa. She'd missed the cocoa.
Chloe took the cup with a smile and Martha knelt on the floor at her feet. "You really scared me, Chloe. Where are your shoes?"
"I think I dropped them. I was walking the fields and..." She broke off and let out a tiny sob. Martha was dabbing rubbing alcohol on her feet with a cottonball and it broke her. All of Lois' scary cooking attempts, all of Lucy's even scarier pep talk attempts. None of it made her feel safe and warm and comforted like the touch of a mom.
Martha got up and leaned over her, holding her as she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Honey." She drew back and smoothed Chloe's hair from her face. "I heard about your father. I would have been there for the funeral, but I just got in two hours ago."
"It's okay." Chloe wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I know it's difficult to get back. There's a lot of hard work in the senate and..."
"No, honey." Martha moved away and sat on the couch across from her. "I... I didn't even hear about your father until I came back on my own and... Well, Mrs. Meyer told me at the grocery store." She smiled sadly. "I'm not going back. I gave up my seat."
"Mrs. Kent, no." Chloe leaned forward, unmindful of the small splash at her feet. "What about your work there. You should..."
"I should be there for my constituents. I know." She shook her head. "I heard it all from myself, too. But I know in my heart what's right. I want to be here. I want to be here when he comes back to me."
Chloe's heart lurched and she wondered how much more false hope she could take. "How do you know he's coming back?"
She smiled and gazed somewhere far away. "A mother knows."
There was slamming and voices outside. "What's that?"
Martha stood. "Your cousins. I called them from the kitchen. They were hard to get a hold of. Your old number was disconnected. But I called your father's..."
Chloe groaned and leaned back.
"What?"
"Nothing. Just brace yourself."
The Lane sisters burst in without knocking and zeroed in on Chloe with a barrage of accusations. She was irresponsible, she could have been hurt, she should have called, they were worried sick, Lois seemed particularly miffed that she still didn't have Chloe's cell number...
Martha broke in. "Girls!"
They turned in unison.
"Why don't I make some more cocoa?"
"Thanks, Mrs. Kent," Chloe said quickly. "I think we all need to calm down." She turned to Lois and Lucy when Martha left. "Just sit down."
They did, staring at the floor. Lucy spoke first. "Where are your shoes?"
"Somewhere," Chloe sighed. She sat up straighter. "Where's my purse?" she said, panicked.
"I put it on the front porch," Martha called from the kitchen. She must have ears that approached her son's. "You dropped it in the drive."
"Thank you," Chloe called out. "I need that purse."
Lois nudged Lucy. "Ow. What?"
"Can you get it?"
"Why do I..." Lois gave her a hard look. "Fine." She nearly stomped out.
Lois leaned forward. "Chloe, I understand that you've had a hard week, but to just run off..."
"I met one of my sources after the funeral," Chloe broke in. "And there's a tape labeled G.S.L."
"Oh, are you finally going to let me... GSL..." Lois' eyes widened just as Lucy stomped in and tossed Chloe's purse in her lap.
"Thanks, Lucy," Chloe said, trying a smile. "Could you see if Mrs. Kent needs a hand with the cocoa?"
Lucy looked mutinous, but Lois gave her another look. "What did we talk about?"
She looked from Chloe to Lois and threw up her hands. "Fine."
Chloe leaned forward after she was gone. "What did you talk about?"
"I reminded her that she was being fed and housed by us and, unless she wanted to find a way to do that herself, she'd better pull her weight." Lois shook her head. "Now G.S.L...." She ran a hand over her face. "I'm not even sure I want to know?"
"This involves you, too. You have to. Do have a cassette player in you car?"
"I... no. I don't even know if I have a cassette player at all. I mean, not since 1995 and..."
"I have a cassette player." Martha was standing in the doorway as was Lucy. "It's upstairs."
"Oh... well, thank you." Chloe smiled. "Could we borrow it for..."
"I think I'd rather it stay here." Martha placed the tray pf cocoa on the coffee table and crossed her arms. "I've known for some time that you kids were getting into some things that were a little bigger than you. I knew that, when I came back, I was going to get involved. And I am." She started upstairs, then turned back. "I have more than thirty years on all of you. I hope you trust that I have something to contribute."
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Chapter Six
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