Almost Clark (Chapter Twenty-two)

Spoilers for Trespass, Freak, Progeny, Noir

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chloe walked toward the barn, a brown envelope clutched in her hand. She hadn't seen Clark over the weekend. She wanted some distance after she'd almost given in to Kal. She wasn't sure how much Clark remembered. But she hoped he'd conveniently forgot. Of course, she felt confident he would. He'd been doing it for over three years.

She heard voices as she approached the barn. She stopped. "....normal way. Ever since I landed on the paparazzi's list of ex-boyfriends to hound," Clark was saying, "I feel like someone's looking over my shoulder, like I'm being watched. I spent so much time trying to stay out of the spotlight that pushing Lana into Lex's life... put me right in the middle of it."

"Well, it's got to be a lot warmer in that spotlight than it is outside," she said as she entered. She shivered lightly, trying to smile.

Martha stared at her a moment before speaking. "I'm going to go inside and make some hot cocoa to thaw out the two of us who can feel how cold it is." She threw Clark an odd look and started out.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kent." Martha stopped to rub the tops of Chloe's arms before leaving. There was something off.

"Chloe, you look half frozen," Clark said, before she could reflect on it.

"Yeah," she agreed.

"Shouldn't you be next to a fire somewhere, warming up next to Jimmy?"

Chloe ignored the pangs that remark brought on- both for the loss of Jimmy and for the fact that Clark seemed not to remember anything about that night. Why was she hurt? Didn't she want him to forget? "I'm on a mocha-mint run for Lana," she said, getting down to business briskly. "...at least that's what I'm letting her believe. Um, she is hiding out at my apartment."

"From what?"

She explained about the stalker. Clark seemed to spring to life. "I'll go back with you. We can figure out a way --"

"No, Clark. She's fine, she's safe. She's got Lex's security guards there. Believe me. No one's going to go near her without them knowing about it."

"There's got to be something I can do," he groaned.

"There is. I traced the text message to a lowlife shutterbug named Louie Esposito. Now, there's no permanent address, but Jimmy really knows that world, so... can you call him and ask him about it?"

"Call Jimmy? Why don't you call him yourself?"

"I can't. We sort of broke up." If by sort of you mean completely and it was, as all bad things in my life, because of you.

"Does this have anything to do with me, and keeping my secret?"

She looked at him uncomfortably. Was he psychic now? "No. And yes," she answered honestly.

"I can't let this happen, Chloe," he said desperately. "My lies have already pushed Lana away, and now --"

"She's a lot closer than you think, Clark." She had to cut him off. The other night had brought up old hurts and haunts. His need to put her back with Jimmy was just as hurtful as his all-encompassing concern for Lana. Only Lana. Even now as she prepared to marry another man. "This is a picture that creep sent Lana on her cellphone," she said briskly,pulling a photo from the envelope. "Anything look familiar?"

Clark looked at the photo. "That's my dad's chisel." He looked up anxiously. "Did she see Lex stab me?"

"She doesn't know what she saw. But, Clark, she's been orbiting your secret for years, and I think she may finally be coming in for a landing."

Chloe was just as terrified as Clark. Terrified Lana wouldn't understand and would expose him to Lex. Terrified she would understand and they would finally be brought together by the truth. Either outcome spelled disaster for her.

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

Lana knew more than she should. Chloe was sure of it. But she was also still set to marry Lex and give birth to his child. She found a sort of comfort in that. And she resented that comfort.

It was her own fault for bringing the necklace to him that night. She hadn't done it just for the truth. She had done it because she still wanted him. She turned from the copy machine and glanced toward the door. Jimmy was somewhere in the building, scrupulously avoiding her. How could she wish for three such different guys? She wanted the passion and excitement that was Kal along with the sort of nobility and steadfastness that was Clark. And she also wanted the tenderness and near-adoration that Jimmy brought her.

Was she selfish? She must be. She kept Jimmy at her side even while secretly hoping that Clark would finally choose her. And she stayed near Clark, always hoping that Kal would claim her. Yes. She was very selfish.

She turned to see Clark and smiled to greet him. Paste it on, Sullivan. Whatever you do, stay pleasant. "So," she began as he followed her back to her desk. "It's funny how the main streets from here to Smallville miraculously thawed out overnight. You have anything to do with that?"

He grinned almost shyly. "Nature's a mysterious creature. Have you talked to Lana?"

Of course. He wouldn't come just to see her. "No. We danced to this tune before, Clark. I'm not playing pickle in the middle anymore, remember?"

"I know, but this time it's different," he insisted. "Lana's getting too close to finding out my secret. I mean what am I supposed to do?"

"Clark, Lana risked her life by not showing that photograph to Lex. She did that to protect you," Chloe said, tamping down the regret. "I think she's proven where her loyalty lies." But she's still marrying him, Chloe thought. That hasn't changed. Please don't let it. At any rate, she was done talking to Lana about Clark. Did either of them realize what playing cheerleader for the Clana team did to her? If they did, did they care?

At that moment, Jimmy walked into the office, heading not for her, but for Clark. She looked away hurriedly. "Yo, C.K.," he said, clearly agitated. "Thanks for fixing me up with the sucker's cocktail in Esposito's darkroom. I help you out, you leave me holding the bag for a felony. That's great."

Clark voice was hesitant. "Jimmy, I'm sorry. After I found out what happened to Lana, I just wanted to make sure she was okay."

Jimmy was silent for a moment. "Yeah, I can understand that urge. How is she?"

"She's good, thanks to you. You really came through."

Chloe allowed herself to turn to Jimmy. "Yeah, thanks," she said softly, meeting his eyes. They really were nice eyes. They almost made her think he could be enough.

"You guys should catch up," Clark said. Chloe didn't watch him leave. The way Jimmy was looking at her, he might just want to rescind their break-up. If that was happening, she wouldn't risk ruining it. She needed this. It would keep her safe,

"You know, he's not such a bad guy," Jimmy said, smiling.

"Yeah. But he's no Jimmy Olsen." She meant it. Jimmy was all that was honest and right. How could she think of him as just a placeholder?

"Does that mean that you miss me?" he asked.

She said nothing, but looked at him expectantly.

After a moment, he kissed her. "I know. Me too." He nuzzled her nose. It was sweet.

She hugged him, looking off over his shoulder. It was a mistake. Clark was watching them from the door. But he only gave her a half-smile before turning away.

Message recieved, she thought, but without the bitterness she'd felt only minutes ago. It was time to move on. They both knew it.

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

Clark walked into The Planet to find Chloe, staring at her computer screen, though he didn't think she saw a thing. He stared at the bandage peeking from her shirt, remembered what she'd made him do. He wanted to go through anything like that again. And he wasn't too crazy about the events that led to it. To think that Lex was gathering meteor freaks and... what? Experimenting? Definitely. Killing? Maybe. He didn't know exactly what the red dots on the GPS map had meant, but the possibilities were chilling. He wouldn't let anyone hurt her again. Not even him.

He'd just seen her back with Jimmy, happy again. And he'd stayed away from the necklace. Whatever he was feeling, he wouldn't let himself... hurt her again. "You look dazed and confused. Are you okay?"

"I can't sleep. I can't work. I can't think about anything else." She sounded so lost, so distraught. He wanted to fix it for her, but what could he do?"

"You've been through a lot," he reminded her softly.

"There's a reason they took me, and we both know it's not because I was a witness." He could almost hear that mind whirring. "Tobias didn't identify you, Clark, because you're not a meteor freak. It was me."

"Chloe, it must have been a mistake."

"How do you know that?" she snapped, getting up and pacing away. "I mean, I've been exposed to more Kryptonite than practically anyone else in this town. It's not that much of a stretch to think that I could have been infected somewhere along the way."

"But you don't have any powers." Unless super-sleuthing was considered freakish. He looked at her closely. "Do you?"

"No, but that doesn't rule me out. There's a percentage of the Wall of Weird that were latent for years. They didn't exhibit any of their powers until long after their exposure." Her voice got higher and more panicked with every word.

"Okay. All right," he said, hoping to calm her. "Let's say it's true. But who's to say you're ever gonna develop any powers at all?"

"All I know is that every single meteor freak I've ever run into has ended up either dead or in Belle Reve." She came back to her chair and sunk into it miserably. "Face it, Clark. I'm a walking time bomb," she sobbed.

Clark puts both hands on her elbow. "Then consider me your own personal bomb squad." A tear fell to his hand before she looked up at him, sniffling.

She didn't say anything. She didn't have to. They both knew he'd be there. How could he help it?

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

Chloe was proud of Clark. He'd got through everything and he'd taken her with him. There was a new sort of understanding between them, a promise of shelter and comfort that had never been there before.

Before, most of her times with him had been tainted with angst and longing. Cluttered with resentment. His feelings, she suspected, had been wrapped in confusion. But now there was a sort of calm and she saw what they could always be to each other. How they could find strength in each other and in themselves. And they needed it now more than ever. She knew their times would get no easier as they closed in on the corrupt bastard that Lex Luthor had become.

But they'd made it. Clark had survived Lana's wedding to what was possibly the most evil man in this or any universe. She knew it hadn't been easy, especially when Lana's unexplainable wedding jitters had out her in his reach again... then snatched her away and to the altar with Lex. And, for the first time in her life, Chloe had wished Lana had chosen Clark. She supposed the ever-present resentment of Lana that had always mingled with her love for her was fading as well. She wanted her safe. She wanted the baby safe. It was Lex's, sure, but it shouldn't belong to him. He would bring his evil to everything he touched.

Like her mother. Clark had helped her through that, too. But it all still hurt. She supposed that was why she'd come to him tonight.

She entered the house, knocking a formality that Martha had done away with weeks ago. "Why in the world do you knock, Chloe?" Martha had asked, smiling that sweet smile of hers. "You know you're always allowed in."

"Manners, Mrs. Kent," she'd said, grinning back. "It's always good to check."

She'd laughed and hugged her. "This from the girl that protects my son's secret," she'd whispered. "You have no idea how much that means to me." And Chloe had missed her mother's voice so badly at that moment. Even knowing she could visit her at Belle Reve any time, she hadn't heard her speak since she was a child.

But this week, she'd seen and heard things she'd been longing for all this time. And, just like that, it was snatched away. At least Oliver would take care of her. But who would take care of Chloe? All these years, she'd looked after herself, after her father, even after Lois who was almost as irresponsible as a child sometimes. When would someone look after her?

"Hey," she said as she spied Clark in the living room.

He got up, ushering her in as if her legs didn't work. "Hey. You okay? How you doing?"

Her eyes almost filled for the millionth time this week. How could she be so stupid? It was Clark who looked after her. Hadn't he saved her mind more times than she could count? "Um... it's just so unfair. I mean, she's never gonna be able to read any of the articles I've written, you know, or meet Jimmy. She's never gonna get to know the person that I've become." She wondered how many seconds before all of her tears would drop again.

"It's a good thing I told her," Calrk said softly.

Her body turned alert as her eyes dried up. "You did?"

"After I brought your mom to Oliver's apartment, I gave her the complete Chloe Sullivan bio." He smiled. "She was so proud. That's something no one can ever take away."

But someone could. There was someone who could and would take everything that was good in this world. "Lex came to talk to me, Clark." His smile vanished. "Basically, he said it's either kill or be killed. The story or me."

Clark's eyes darkened. "He threatened you?"

"I'm in his cross hairs," she admitted sadly.

His face hardened and turned almost bright red. "Yeah, well, now he's in mine."

Chloe put a hand on his arm. "Think about Lana. We can't do anything to him until we know she's safe." If anything could sway him from rash actions, that would be it.

"You're right. He'd feed her to the lions just to spite me." He stared ahead, tense and almost shaking. "But it's inevitable. The war's about to begin."

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

The next weeks, they were more watchful than ever. There was a tension on the air as they waited for the change that would force them to make their move. And when Lana was shot, they felt they had found it.

"I've been all over town," Clark striding into The Planet. "And all I can find out about the guy who attacked Lana is that he's a hired gun."

"Yeah, and now he's out of commission, so it looks like we hit a dead end." She avoided his eyes. She couldn't tell him what she now knew. Lana may have told her about her true reasons for marrying Lex, but she couldn't break her promise and spill it to Clark.

Clark looked angry. "That's it? Someone out there takes a hit out on Lana, and you're just gonna give up, just like that?" He peered at her closely. "You're holding back something from me, aren't you? Chloe, I can't believe you'd lie to me."

Chloe's anger rose. "I can't believe you didn't hear the deafening irony in that statement."

"You know how much Lana means to me," he growled, grabbing her shoulders, a bit too hard.

Chloe dislodged his fingers, pushing away an unwelcome memory. "First, ouch." Now was definitely not the time for a memory like that. "Second, if you really want to help, just stay out of it, okay? Please."

A look of hurt mingled with his anger. "I'm gonna find Lana's attacker... with or without you." He started away.

She stopped him. She couldn't let him believe she didn't care. Just a clue. That wouldn't be a betrayal of Lana's trust. Not really. "Clark, how long have you kept your secret from Lana because you were trying to protect her?"

Clark stared down at her, understanding dawning on his face. "Are you trying to tell me that Lana's doing this to protect me?"

Chloe couldn't answer that. She'd said enough. "Look, all I'm saying is that sometimes people do things that you don't expect and you don't understand. And sometimes they have a really good reason for it."

"As much as I want to believe that that reason is Lex..."

"We both know he'd never do anything to hurt her." He was cruel, yes. But the buck stopped at Lana for him, as it did for every man that had ever met her.

"Well, if it's not Lex, then... There's only one other person who would manipulate her like that."

She didn't have to say anymore. He was sharp enough to get it. She watched him walk away, wondering if there there could be two bastards with the initial L.L. taken down before they were through. She hoped so.

Previous Chapter

Chapter Twenty-Three