Almost Chloe (Chapter Seventeen)

Chapter 17

Victor put his hand on General Lane's head. He was in bed, but tied at the wrists and in a hotel robe. "About 103," Victor said, removing his hand.

Bart glanced at Victor. "What? You're a thermometer now?"

A.C. elbowed him. "Dude, the man's sick."

"Okay. Sorry."

"We have no way of treating him," Oliver said. "He needs to get to a hospital."

Lucy let out a sob in the corner and Victor went to her, speaking quietly. Chloe moved to Lois and took her hand. "Is it from exposure? The avalanche..."

"No." This cam from Sam Lane, who opened his eyes slightly. Lois rushed to the bedside and Chloe went with her, still clutching her hand. "Not the cold. This one... long time coming."

"Dad, what is it?" Lois put her hand on his head. "I... I don't care what you've done. We'll talk about it later. You just need to..."

"I won't be getting better," he croaked out. "It's in the blood." He sat up, eyes closed again. "Just get me an aspirin. It'll take the fever down. It always does."

Lucy hurried to him. "I'll get it, Dad." She turned to Lois. "Do you have any aspirin in your purse?" Lois nodded. "I'll be right back." She rushed out.

Oliver came behind Lois with a chair and Chloe let go of her hand and stepped back. She remembered the phone conversation. Though she was worried for this man, a part of her resented that feeling. He showed no concern at her near-demise.

She turned to Clark. There was so much they needed to tell each other. She wanted to take him away right now, cry all over him and hit him some more for leaving her to endure the worst two months of her life. But he stood near the door, silent again, and she wondered if he'd actually kissed her just moments ago. Maybe she'd imagined it.

Lucy rushed back in and into the bathroom, coming out again with a paper cup. Her hands were shaking and Victor took it from her, approaching the bed. "Here." He held it front of the general and he opened his eyes, taking it and staring in awe at Victor.

"I know of you." He took the aspirin from Lucy and placed both on his tongue, swallowing them down and laying back, the empty cup dropping from his hands.

"How do you know me?" Victor asked.

"There's some people that have been looking for you for a long time." The general opened his eyes and finally looked around the room. His eyes quickly looked away when they rested on Chloe. He turned to his youngest daughter instead. "Lucy, what did you do to your hair?"

Her hands flew to the blonde bob. "Just something new, Daddy." She sat on the edge of the bed and took his hand. "Do you feel better?"

"I'll be fine." He glanced at Bart. "Aren't you that kid that kept hitting me?"

"Only because you were that guy that kept trying to shoot me."

"Where am I? Why'd you bring me here? And who are you people?"

Oliver stepped forward and the general glanced at the hand he placed on Lois' shoulder. "I'm Oliver Queen. That's Arthur Curry, Bart Allen, Victor Stone and I guess you know Clark... and your daughters... and your niece."

"Who you tried to kill last night," Lois added, her jaw stiff.

He finally looked at Chloe again, but his eyes dropped again from her steady gaze. "I'm sorry. I didn't know it was you."

"Would that have stopped you?" Lois demanded. "Because, considering who you've been working with, I'm not really sure."

"You were always stubborn," he sighed. "You could never stop and see that I only do what's best for you." He looked at Lucy. "Both of you."

Lois covered her face, but Lucy leaned forward. "How did you get sick, Dad?"

He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "Alien virus. Nothing the doctors can do. Just wanted to finish my work first."

"What work?" Lois asked.

He squeezed his eyes shut and said nothing.

"You might as well tell us, General," Oliver said. "We could use sodium pentathol, but we'd rather you be lucid."

"I take it you all want to stop us," he said, nearly smiling. "You don't understand. There are threats to the safety of everyone that you can't imagine."

"We can imagine, all right," Chloe said, lifting her chin. "And I'd put Lex Luthor at the top of that list."

He still seemed uncomfortable looking at her. "His methods may be dirty, but it will even out in the end. Even my sickness... it's all worth it if we can defend ourselves."

"Against what?" Chloe turned, surprised to hear Clark speak.

"Aliens. They're from a planet called Krypton." Lois gasped, but Oliver squeezed her shoulder. "They've been here before, killing and infecting our land with green rocks that mutate the genes of our people." He quickly glanced at Chloe again. "And freaks, unnatural people with abilities that make them a danger to everyone. We've almost succeeded. We'll have an army that's controlled by the right side and can destroy these abominations."

Chloe looked to Lionel, who shook his head sadly. Abominations is exactly what he called the product of Lex's experiments.

"Don't you see? You're fighting the wrong side? These things are a danger to you. I'm doing all this for you." He looked at Lois and Lucy, but again avoided Chloe. "For all of you."

"No," Lois said calmly. "I don't see. You happen to be in the presence of quite a few freaks right now."

Bart, A.C., and Victor crowded together and glared at him. "You think we're out to take over the world?" Victor asked. "We do nothing but help and stop people like you from experimenting on the rest of us."

"Maybe you think you mean well," Lane said. "But, whatever your intentions, there are some that aren't so altruistic." He looked at Clark. "You've seen it in your own town. Murderous freaks infected with those unnatural meteors..."

"Like your niece," Clark said. "The one Lex kidnapped and experimented on. The one whose mother he manipulated..."

"It was for the best," Lane growled, still avoiding Chloe. "If it's in her blood, it can mutate, turn her into a killer and..."

"She saved my life," Lois said hotly. "And almost gave up her own in the process."

"For how long?" Lane croaked. "Most of them turn and use their abilities to kill, hurt, or they just go insane." His eyes rested on Chloe and, this time, he didn't look away. "I'm sorry for what's been done to you and I'm sorry about your father. But you need to be controlled before you..."

"My ability was to heal," Chloe cut in. "How's that dangerous?"

He stared at her. "Luthor said..."

Lionel Luthor finally spoke from the back. "I assure you, my son lies easily and very well. Can you still think what you're doing with him is right when his own father is here against him?"

He looked back to Chloe, his eyes desperate. "You could mutate to something worse. You could..."

"It doesn't matter," Chloe said tiredly. "It's gone. Whatever I had, it's just gone."

"Dad," Lois said gently. "Can't you see? Not all of these people use their abilities to hurt. Some of them do good."

"Not enough. This virus in me. It came from the blood of an alien creature. These Kryptonians..."

"I've had about enough," Lois interrupted. "Last night, a Kryptonian saved your life!"

He looked around the room. His eyes wide and fearful. "Who..."

"It was me," Clark said, stepping forward and moving past Chloe. "And I'm the last. There are no more Kryptonians. My planet was destroyed."

"Clark Kent," he breathed. "Is that why Lex is so obsessed with you?"

"What does he know?" Clark demanded.

"Nothing," Lane sighed. "He only suspects you have something. But it's not clear."

"Uncle Sam." Chloe moved to stand next to Clark, placing her hand on his stiff arm. "Don't you see? Lex Luthor is a madman. He's fighting against some of the best things that have happened to this world. All of these people." She gestured to the room. "They're heroes. They save countless lives, even the lives of people like Lex, like you... people that would do them harm."

"But there are others." His eyes pleaded. "The project must..."

"General Lane," Clark said soberly. "I promise that there are enough people like us to stop the others. This is our fight. What Lex Luthor is doing will bring nothing but pain."

"He doesn't want to save the world," Chloe said. "What he's doing is no better than ethnic cleansing."

"Ever heard of a guy named Hitler?" Bart sneered. "Bet a lot of people thought he was a real genius."

"Yeah, Man, " A.C. piped up. "The kind of people who march in unison with their arms raised."

"He wants control," Lionel said seriously. "He always has. He's ruled by insecurity and hatred."

Sam Lane looked at his daughters.

"Daddy," Lucy said, clutching his hand. "I think you should listen."

************************************

The room was silent as Sam Lane dialed. Victor had equipped the cell phone with a blocker as well as a wire that ran to a speaker that would allow them to hear. "Can't be too loud," he said, turning the knob. "He'll hear the feedback." He turned to the room. "And everyone keep quiet."

"You first," A.C. said.

"Shhh!" Chloe leaned forward and stared at her uncle as ringing sounded out. Her robe slipped down and she pulled it up quickly. She wished this would all let up for a second so she could put some clothes on. Despite staying up all night, she wanted to get back to life and finish this. She pulled her robe tighter and untied the sash, glancing sideways. Clark was next to her on the loveseat and his gaze was on her leg. She could tell that much without seeing his eyes. She retied the sash, but didn't adjust the part that was open on her leg. Inappropriate? Possibly. But she wanted him to see her.

"Yes?"

"It's Lane."

"Where are you?" Everyone jumped at the angry voice.

"I'm at the Gotts Pass cabin," Lane lied. "I went west. Seems there were hunters near shooting wolves. Went to investigate."

"Why didn't you tell any of the guards or even take a group along?"

"I wasn't aware I answered to my guards."

Lex sighed and Chloe nearly sighed with him. "Well, get back here. We have a real mess. One of your idiots spilled coffee in the surveillance room and caused a power surge."

"What about the back-up generators?"

"They're fine, but we have no tape from last night."

"Doesn't seem like a problem to me. It was all pretty quiet."

"It doesn't matter," Lex said sharply. "You need to keep control of your men. We can't afford any mistakes like this. She knows something."

"She?"

"Your niece." Lex said the word as if she were something disgusting he'd stepped in. She felt Clark's hand on her arm.

Sam looked at Chloe. "What can she do? Even if she were there right now, it would make no difference."

Lex laughed. "Well, she could cry on me, but... Look, just get back here."

"Can't," Lane said, looking away from Chloe. "God damned shooters caused an avalanche. Can't get out for a while. Won't even thaw halfway till tomorrow afternoon. And you know how this place is. Can't land a helicopter. Nothing. And sending anything noisy over for airlift.... Well, you might as well start doling out my life insurance."

"Jesus. Can't you just fucking snowshoe?"

"You know what, Luthor? I've risked a hell of a lot so far. I've got a virus eating at my insides and I had to leave my whole life to live in this wasteland while you play Dr. Frankenstein. But I'll be damned if I'll die of hypothermia before we're done because you can't handle things for a day and a half."

They waited tensely as the silence grew.

"Fine. Just sit around and get drunk. It's what you do here, anyway."

"I think I just might."

"Hey, look... uh... Sam, I have to tell you. I can't promise your niece's safety anymore. I'm sorry."

Clark's hand tightened on Chloe's arm.

"Because she knows?" Lane asked.

"Well, she can't know much. But it's that and because she made an attempt on my life." Chloe knew that wasn't the whole truth. It was because of what she'd said. It was the truth, but Lex Luthor just couldn't face that he was monster. He wouldn't accept that the reason Lana left, the reason they all did, was all him. He'd kill her rather than face himself. "She's hiding out in Smallville," he went on. "And don't worry, my men have orders not to harm Lois and Lucy Lane."

Sam was silent.

"Look, Lane, I'm sorry it turned out this way. But we both know it's for the best. Given more time, her powers will be mutated and she'll turn out like her mother."

Chloe was shaking. Why hadn't she seen her mother in Star City? She might never see again this woman that Lex dismissed so easily.

"I... I suppose you're right, Luthor. As long as my girls are safe."

"I promise."

"How long are you staying?" Lane asked with a look at Victor.

"As long as it takes. To be honest, I feel a little edgy. I won't rest till I get that call from my men."

"About her?"

"Yes, her."

Clark's arm tightened more and Chloe turned to him. "Hurting me," she mouthed and his hand loosened, but didn't fall away.

"Well, I'll let you go," Lex said crisply. "I'm sure you have lots of drinking to do. Call me when the haze clears."

There was a click and then silence. Victor snapped the speakers off and took the phone back. The rest of them felt like rejoicing, but he didn't seem even a little impressed at the small victory. "Okay. We have a timeline now. Let Lex relax a little and we'll get him when he's complacent."

"I assure you," Lionel said. "My son is never complacent."

"Would he be complacent dead?" Bart wondered.

"No," Luthor said quickly. "My help had always been on one condition. Get him away, get him the help he needs, but do not harm him. He's my son."

"We got it, Lionel," Lois said sharply. "Luthor can hack all our limbs off, but under no circumstance can we touch a... spot on his head."

"Don't get smart with me, young lady. I've been..."

"Quiet," Victor barked. He took a deep breath. "We have new info and a new situation and added resources." He nodded at Clark and the general. "It's ten now. Everyone get some rest or eat or whatever and I'll tell you when I'm ready."

"Victor." Lucy stepped forward. "Aren't you going to rest?"

His eyes softened for a fraction of a second. "I'll rest when I'm ready. I need to talk to your father alone."

Bart and A.C. shot up quickly, arguing about what they wanted to eat.

Lois and Olliver took hands and walked out, Lois pulling Lucy along as she passed her.

Chloe turned, wondering where Clark got to. They needed to talk. There was so many blanks to fill in. They both could use the info. She looked in all the rooms and couldn't find him. She went back to hers, figuring she should at least get out of her robe and into clothes. She was just pulling a red top over her jeans when she realized her shower was running. It suddenly turned off. She hoped Lucy was okay. Having her father back so ill... it was probably saddening. She inched toward the door and pushed it gently...

She gasped at what she saw and it was not Lucy.

"Clark," she breathed, staring at the figure through the frosted glass. She knew he heard. He stopped, his hands falling from his head in shadow.

"I'll be out in a minute, Chloe. There 's no where else free."

"I..." And how could she say it? With all that was going on... How could she be so selfish as to want to step over the edge and press herself against his back? There were bigger things than that going on. "I'll see you out there."

She stepped into the hall and took a deep breath, wondering how much longer she could be near him and not beg him to touch her. As she passed Lois and Oliver's room, she heard raised voices.

"He's helping now, but he's still tied up. You can stop acting like he can't be trusted." It was Lucy. Chloe stopped and listened, knowing one of them would run out crying soon as this was a Lane family moment.

"He's helping because we give him no choice. You heard the things he said." It was Lois' turn now and Chloe knew it would be Lucy to run first. Lois' words could sometimes cut deeper."He's never been there for us and yet you keep defending him. Is it just because you want to keep being Daddy's precious baby?"

"Stop calling me that! I'm not a baby. And if anyone was his favorite, it was you!"

"What? When he sent me off to karate classes and little league, trying to make me into that son he always wanted? In the meantime, you were given pink dresses and china dolls and patted on the head and..."

"Treated like a child," Lucy yelled. "While he condescended and told me I couldn't do what you did. I'd get hurt. I was too delicate. 'Lois can handle herself,' he said."

"Because he didn't care what happened to me!"

"Because he believed in you!" Lucy sobbed. "He never trusted me. You were his mirror image, his..."

"Chloe."

She jumped and turned guiltily from the door. It was Victor. "Hey. What's going on?"

"The general wants to speak to you."

She nodded and stepped across the hall, looking back only to see Lucy launch herself from the room and straight into Victor. She stopped, staring up at him, her lower lip trembling. Then she lurched forward and buried her face in his shoulder. And he let her, which was most surprising. Victor never let anyone too close, but he brought his arms to her back and rubbed. Chloe turned away. It felt like she was intruding.

Instead, she opened the door and moved toward the bed, where Sam Lane lay with his eyes shut. "Uncle Sam?" He opened them and motioned with his tied hands to the chair. She sat, waiting for him to speak.

"I've been a fool, Chloe. I never thought things would go this far. I never stopped to think that what I did was wrong." She didn't interrupt, only waited. "I should have realized that nothing Lex Luthor did was for the common good and... Well, you can't control everything around you. I never thought of it that way till now. And look at the time I've wasted. Two grown daughters that hardly stand me. My wife's brother d..."

Chloe felt tears in her eyes. "You didn't do that."

"But I knew Lex was after you, knew about the experiment and your mother. And now Gabe..." He smiled slightly. "He was a good guy. Gullible as hell. Once, when Ella and I visited for Thanksgiving, I got him to go on a turkey hunt with me." He let out a wheezing laugh. "Told him to wear bright orange. Said it would stun the turkeys so he could get near. Damned if he didn't come dressed like a traffic cone."

Chloe very nearly laughed, but it didn't come out. There was only a slight noise that suddenly devolved into sobbing.

"I'm so sorry," he was saying. "I'm just..."

"Don't," Chloe choked, then sniffled. "It's over. We need to concentrate on undoing this. Later, we can..."

"There will be no later. My thought processes, they seem to turn to mush sometimes and I know this infection has reached my mind. I just wish I'd come away from this sooner. My girls..." He trailed off, his eyes turning moist. He looked over at her. "You take after your aunt," he said softly. "Ella. You and Lucy both. Same chin and the lips... But you have your father's nose."

"Yeah." She sniffed. "And my mom's eyes."

"Kids always take the best parts of us," he said, looking at the ceiling. "Then they turn them into their own. My girls... They're better than me."

Chloe couldn't argue, but she did pat his hand. "I'll talk to Lois."

When she left him, she found most of them in Victor's room. He was staring at the monitor, his hand twitching near the tower. "Do we have a plan?"

Victor didn't look away. "Soon. I gotta get it all settled."

Bart and A.C. were in the corner, pulling subs out of paper bags. "I get the veggie," A.C. said.

"As if anyone else wants it." Bart turned to Chloe. "Got something meaty with your name on it, Babe." He held up a bag.

She might have laughed, but Clark came in. His hair was still wet and it dripped onto the collar of his white T-shirt. "You got clothes?"

He nodded, his eyes unreadable behind the sunglasses. "Oliver had some things."

"Hey, Boyscout, think fast." Bart tossed a sandwich and Clark caught it easily, hardly looking. "Ooh, you've been working on that."

Clark's head turned to Chloe. "I'm going to eat outside."

Chloe quickly grabbed a sandwich from Bart. "I'll join you."

"It's too cold for you to..."

"I have a coat, Clark."

"It's still wet," Lois said with her mouth full. She tossed something white to Chloe. "Take mine."

She looked across the room where Lucy was sitting, picking at her sandwich, her eyes far off. She'd have to talk to them, but later. Now she had a chance to talk to Clark alone and she wouldn't miss it. She started after his stiff figure to the door, but Bart called her back.

"Oh, Chloe." She turned and he handed her two bottles of water, smirking. "Don't forget to replenish fluids."

She followed Clark into the hallway, A.C.'s voice following. "Dude, you're such a sicko." She juggled the bottles and her sandwich and followed him. But he went past the stairs and to a long window at the end of the hall. Some kids came out of one room, chasing each other and she stumbled sideways.

He caught her, taking the stuff from her arms and gathering it in his shirt. "You don't need to come with me."

"Do you want to be alone?"

"I... I don't know. Kind of. It's not just that. I need the sun." He pulled the hem of his shirt up over the food and she caught a glimpse of his stomach. She savored that glimpse, wishing she could put her mouth there and taste his skin. His eyes... She wished she could see them, know if they recognized the need in her. He moved to the window, turning his head to the empty hall before flipping the latch and throwing the side open to the wind.

She shrugged into her coat, quickly pulling her hair from under the collar. "Why do you need the sun?"

"I just do. It's something I've learned." He stepped onto the low ledge, one hand still cradling their food.

"What else have you learned?"

He held out his free hand and she stepped onto the ledge with him. He placed his arm around her waist. "Hold on tight."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "If you say so."

He looked up and she buried her face in his shoulder. Lois had said he flew, Bart had said it, too. But she was a little scared it just wouldn't work. That the moment she had the chance to float on air with the guy of her dreams, it would all turn out to be a fluke.

But it wasn't. She gasped as her feet really did leave the ledge and dangle high above the ground. And they really did move upwards slowly. She pulled her head up and gazed at him, amazed. She saw a small smile on his lips. "You love this," she said.

He smiled wider, still looking up. "It's kind of the best thing ever."

She held tighter as they floated over the ledge and onto the roof. "A little jarring, but very cool."

He chuckled as they touched down. "I thought you'd like it."

She didn't let go. "I do." She brought one hand to his face and he looked down. "I miss your eyes."

His arm tightened briefly before he stepped away quickly. "Chloe, I can't ..."

"Don't worry, Clark." She turned her gaze to the roof around her so he wouldn't see her hurt. "I mean, things happened before you left and... things happened just this morning," she said, her lips remembering his kiss. "But I get it." She turned back to him and forced a smile. "I won't get any ideas. Obviously, we both have work ahead of us and..." She trailed off, turning back to the roof. "We do have this great picnic view. A little snowy, but..." She saw the snow melt before her eyes and turned to him. He'd lifted the glasses with his free hand and was staring hard at it. She turned back to see a clear, dry spot.

He stumbled slightly, his hand on his head.

She rushed to him. "They still hurt?"

"It's just my vision. I keep seeing in X-ray and it hurts." He breathed deep and seemed to relax. "The lead in the glasses helps. I can actually look at people without seeing under their skin." He stared at her and she shifted away. Why did he keep pushing at her, then pulling at her?

She laughed and skipped over to the dry spot. "So how's my skeleton? Am I big-boned? You can break it to me gently." She sank down to the roof. It was actually warm beneath her."

He chuckled lightly and joined her, sitting cross-legged and handing her a sandwich. "No. Your skeleton is not fat."

"What happened?"

He glanced toward her. He had to know she was talking about more than just the vision. He took a deep breath. "Jor-El called me. I always knew he would, that I needed to go to the fortress and... well, learn and train. I'd always been afraid to go. Not for the training. I was actually curious about that part. But because I didn't know what would happen after. Would he expect me to leave everyone I cared about and embrace my heritage? Was there a new Krypton in the works? Would I be sent there? I just... always wanted to be normal."

"Why?" she asked, tilting her head. "Why choose normalcy when you have the opportunity to save so many?"

He smiled. "I realize that now. And I might have realized it from the first if Jor-El wasn't always so stern."

She smiled back. "I guess we all like to rebel when parents get too high-handed."

"He almost didn't let me go. Told me I wasn't ready. He was right." He looked off, facing north, she was sure. "My senses are just... raw. The first part was okay. I learned of Krypton, of Jor-El... and Lara." He turned back to Chloe. "My mother... Well, my birth mother. I wish I could explain. I just... feel that there are two sides of me. The side that loves my parents and wants to stay in Smallville. And this other part that mourns the loss of a planet and people and almost wants to go back and see who I would be if I'd been able to stay."

She hated herself, but she was glad he hadn't had that life, been that guy. That guy would have never been in her life, as wonderful and awful as he made it.

"Anyhow, the training, the use of my powers." He sighed. "I felt stripped raw. Every sense seemed taken away to be built up again and perfected. My speed, my strength, my hearing..." He looked up and smiled. "Flight."

She smiled. "Was it all you wanted?"

"And more. I'd never felt so free. All along, I could fly, Chloe. But I was always scared. Not of falling or pain, but of... of liking it and wanting to hang onto it. Embracing that part of me that is Kal-El." He looked down. "But my vision... It's still imperfect. At least the lead controls it, but I can't use it, even the involuntary use is like a knife in my head." He pursed his lips. "Jor-El let me go, but he warned me I was not done. And he warned me that, when I come back, we start over, strip them all down again." He let out a long breath. "I just hate feeling so raw, so weak."

"Is that why my little slap fest actually smarted?" She found her eyes on his lips, thinking of what came after.

He turned to her and she wondered if he was also thinking of their kiss. "It's why I need the sun. It heals me, charges me... It's hard to explain."

She blinked, her mind absorbing all of this new material. "Could you try?"

"Well... I always thought that, on Krypton, everyone must have had my abilities. I mean, they have some awesome technology, but they were just normal. Krypton's sun was red and Earth's sun is yellow. And it seems to give me this ability."

She nodded. "So you're solar-powered. It's very green of you."

He laughed. "Yeah." He unwrapped his sandwich and she did the same. "I missed eating."

She glanced up, swallowig a bite. "He didn't feed you there?"

He shrugged. "I don't exactly need to eat. I mean, it helps and I feel better when I do, but... Well, I could go for months. My metabolism is about the opposite of Bart's. It doesn't need to burn food. It's like I'm just slow."

"And yet you look like you work out every five seconds? Not exactly fair."

He smiled and turned to his food. They ate in silence for a while. It was cold, but she bore it well, just needing to stay near him. She did glance longingly to her left. There was a tiny shack with a metal roof. Probably warm in there...

She glanced quickly back at him when she realized he was speaking. "Why'd you do this, Chloe?" His face was hard again as he tossed his wrapper down. "Why did you get involved in this?"

"Clark, I had to. There was..."

"Why didn't you wait for me?"


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