The Storm That Took My Soul Away…

BY: Kathy-Lynn Brown

ONE SHOT:

The lighting flashed all around Chloe's SUV. She hadn't seen it rain like that in a long time. She was somewhere between Smallville and Metropolis. Lois had asked her to come to the Talon to proof read an article for her Daily Planet collum. Although Chloe found it very supescious she went anyway. She was right to suspect that Lois was up to something. Lois had invited some of there friends over for a baby shower for Chloe.

The rain outside her SUV was getting heavy and making it almost impossible to see the road before her. Her cell phone rang and she reached over to the seat next her. "Hello,…" She said as she squinted trying to see the road. "Hey,… Ollie. No I'm fine… I just left the Talon and I'll be home soon." She paused to hear him talk. His voice so soft and caring. "It was really nice of Lois… I can't believe you were in on it too…" She said as she felt a sharp pain hit her stomach causing her to almost drop the cell phone. She cried out. "Oliver…"

Oliver's heart grew with fear. He screamed into the phone but there was no answer. He knew that there was only one person that could help Chloe. He quickly called Clark telling him where he thought Chloe was and how she screamed and he heard the sound of shattering glass and tires squealing. He hung up and the phone fell slowly from his hand to the floor. He fell down up his knees looking around the freshly painted pink room. He had spent all day painting and decaroting it to surprise Chloe.

He could tell that something bad had happen. He felt like everything he ever knew and loved was crashing down around him. Like the air in his lungs were being sucked from him. He wanted to run to her but he couldn't move. He just sat there in a daze looking at the white crib.

The flight to Smallville Medical Center seemed to take forever. As soon as the helicopter landed Clark met him leading him to the waiting room where the doctors asked them to wait. Jimmy sat holding onto his girlfriend Lois's hand. Clark took a seat across from them by Victor, A.C. and Bart. Oliver stood looking at the sadden faces. Not one word being spoken. The room around him seemed to spin. His knees grew weak and he had to find a seat quickly before he hit the floor. He sat down by Clark and bowed his head as if to pray.

Clark had told him that the doctors rushed Chloe into surgery and he would be out to talk to Oliver as soon as he could. Time seemed to go by so slow. He hated waiting. It was something he was never good at. And now just waiting to see how she was was slowly killing him.

The doors to the O.R. opened and every one stood to their feet. It took Oliver a second but he joined them. A doctor in his early fifities takes off his mask and approaches the group of sadden faces.

"Mr. Queen, I presume." He said as he reached out and shook Oliver's hand.

"H-How is my wife?" He stammered out. He felt lost and like all his senses where gone.

The doctor looked down at the floor and then back up to Oliver. This was the only thing about his job that he hated. "Mr. Queen,… when your wife arrived she was in labor and from the injuries of the wreck she was bleeding internally. My staff and I we did all that we could for her…" He paused to take a deep breathe. "… I'm sorry but Chloe didn't make it."

Oliver felt like the world around him was fading in and out. He could hear Lois as she screamed out, and he could see Jimmy holding her tightly to stop her from falling to the ground. Victor, A.C. and Bart all heart broken as tears swelled up in their eyes. He reached out for Clark. He could feel his legs once again go rubbery and he honestly thought he was going to throw-up. Clark held his arm and Oliver could feel the man made of steal shake. He looked up to see Clark's face. Tears over flowed down his cheeks. His bottom lips quivering. Oliver knew that Clark loved Chloe just as much as he did. He just never really saw it until that one moment when he looked into Clark's eyes.

"I know that this is a sad time for you and your family, but I thought you might like to see your daughter." The doctor said.

Oliver shook his head. In all the confusion he had forgotten about the baby. "My daughter?"

The doctor grinned. "She is beautiful like her mother."

Oliver and Clark walked slowly down the long and sterile hallway. His expensive shoes clanking against the cheaply tiled hosital floor. The nurse in front of them finally came to a stop. She opened the door for Oliver and Clark to enter.

"There's your little girl." The nurse said as she walked into the room and picked up the baby from the crib. She turned to hand her to Oliver.

Oliver couldn't move. His arms stayed to his side. This was the day he was suppose to share with Chloe. And now she was gone and he stood there with Clark looking at his daughter for the first time. It didn't seem right. And it definetly wasn't fair.

Clark looked at Oliver and then at the nurse. He reached out and took the baby from the nurse as Oliver walked over to the window.

"If there's anything you need, just let me know. I'll be at the desk in the hallway." The nurse said.

Clark nodded as the nurse left the room. He looked down at the beautiful little blonde hair girl in his arms. He felt a warmth surround him. Like he could feel Chloe standing there next to him. "Hey,… little one." He smiled as the baby yawned. "You're an angel. Yes you are." He looked over at Oliver who still looked out the window. "What are you going to name her?"

Oliver bit his bottom lip. He could feel the anger and hurt rushing through his vains and he knew that he was about to let the Queen dam break loose. But he was afraid that if he did he would be admitting that she was gone and he couldn't do that. His voice was weak and soft. "Laura Anne."

"That's beautiful." Clark said. "Do you want to hold her?"

Oliver turns and looks at the little bundle Clark held in his masculant hands. "I've gotta…" He took a deep breath. He just had to get away. He walked by Clark not evening looking down at the baby, he left the room.

Clark felt bad for Oliver. He knew it had to be hard to see Laura Anne knowing how excited that Chloe was about being pregnant with her. He took a seat in the rocker and stroked her forehead softly.

The door opened and Clark looked up to see a white faced Lois. Her eyes were dark and her nose was red from were she'd been crying. She looked around the room. "Where is Oliver?"

"He had to go. All of this was too much for him to handle right now. He just needs a little time and he'll be okay. We all will." He held Laura Anne up to her. "Do you want to hold your cousin?"

A tear once again filled her eyes as she shook her head yes. She reached out and took the baby. She laughed through her tears. "She has Chloe's nose."

Clark smiled. "Yeah. And one day she'll be chasing down stories and typing them in her little Barbie laptop." He added.

"Chloe would have been a good mom, Clark." She said.

"I know." He walked over wrapped his arm around Lois.

It had been two days since Chloe's funeral and Oliver still hadn't held the baby. Clark, Lois and Jimmy had been taking turns taking care of Laura Anne. Clark decided that it was time he and Oliver had a talk. He was missing out on an amazing little being and that wasn't what Chloe would want.

The elavator door to Oliver's apartment opened. Clark exited carrying a baby carrier. Oliver sat in a chair facing the window. His face shown signs that he hadn't shaved since Chloe's funeral and that he had been crying more than he would ever let anyone see. Clark sat Laura Anne on the counter. She was asleep and he didn't want to wake her just yet.

"Oliver,… we need to talk." Clark said.

"Go away, Clark." He said as he sipped his glass of brandy.

"I can't do that." He walked over to Oliver pulling an ottoman over and taking a seat beside of Oliver. "So, your just gonna sit here and drink away the rest of your days?" He waited for a response, but when Oliver didn't have one Clark continued. "Chloe loved you with everything that she had and she wouldn't want this for you. She wouldn't want you to abandon that little girl right there."

"You don't get it do you, Clark?" Oliver looked at Clark with anger. "I lost my wife. The one woman that I loved more than anything. This was suppose to be us. We were supposed to say her name together and hold her together. Laura Anne wasn't suppose to take away my soul. She killed her mother. How can I look at her?"

"That precious little girl is apart of you and Chloe. She didn't kill Chloe. Oliver, the wreck did. She's a gift that God has given unto you to help you with the loss of Chloe. She needs you to tell her about her mother and help her to grow up into the woman that her mother was. Not for you to abandon and make her hate the day she was born. Can you imagin how hard it will be for her when she finds out that her mother died the day she was born. Oliver, you got to hold Chloe and touch her. You got to hear her laugh and smell her rose fragance skin. Laura Anne needs you to tell her how it felt and what it was like to be with her." Clark said. "She needs her father, not me."

Oliver knew that Clark was right. He was hurting so bad that he blamed his daughter and Chloe would have pounded him for that. He stood up and looked over at the counter at the carrier. His heart racing he slowly took the steps to his daughter. She had woken up and was wiggling around. Oliver took her little hand and her finger claspsed onto his. He smiled. "She is beautiful." He lifted her out of the car seat and cradled her in his arms. "Someday when your older, I'll teach all about your mother and how amazing she was." His tears filling his eyes as he stood there holding his little Chloe. He knew that Chloe was gone but never would she be out of his life.