A/N : Almost 4 years since I started this series, I discovered the half-written final 'episode' on my comp and just knew how it had to end. For anyone who never read the beginning of this story or can't remember what went down, the first three 'episodes' can be found on my Profile page, numbers 113, 112, and 110 on the list, when sorted by 'Updated'.

Title : Beyond Smallville 4 : Taking Sides

Rating : PG-13

Summary : AU Futurefic Sequel. It seemed like a stalemate situation as RedK-Clark aimed a gun at Lex Luthor, and the only woman the millionaire had ever learnt to love, Chloe Sullivan, aimed a gun with GreenK bullets at her best friend, the superhero. But then, triggers were pulled, and sides were taken...

Disclaimer : All recognisable characters belong to DC Comics and/or WB, neither of which I am a part of.

Previously on 'Beyond Smallville'...

"Tell me why I shouldn't just let him shoot you" she choked out and Clark smiled evilly. Lex swallowed hard before he replied, looking straight at Chloe now.

"Because I'm sorry, more than I ever have been in my life and because... I love you"

If nothing else was to be believed, Chloe did believe that Lex loved her. The look in his eyes, the tone of his voice, it was true - she just knew it. He would not have done all he had for her if he didn't feel something for her, and she did know that she loved him too.

"I love you too" she admitted, and Clark faked putting his fingers down his throat.

"Please, shut up" he gagged, "how can you love him after what he's done?"

"Because I know he loves me too and if he has done wrong it has been for me" she said through further tears, "and he's not the only one who lied to me" she said coolly.

Clark's eyes shone in a final burst of power from the red rock inside of him.

"Enough of this game" he announced, levelling the gun at Lex once more and taking aim.

"No!" Chloe screamed as the bullet left the gun and entered the man's chest.

Chapter 1

Lex and Clark both fell backwards, hitting the floor simultaneously on opposite sides of the room. Chloe dropped the gun in her hand with shock. She had just shot her best friend at the same moment that he had shot the man she loved. Her mind was in a whirl and she did not know where to turn until she heard a sound; a groan of pain from her left which she knew was Lex. The sound he made brought her out of her daze as she realised he wasn't dead.

"Lex!" she called as she ran round the desk and knelt beside him on the floor.

Clark had been sufficiently distracted by Chloe's shot that the bullet he had fired was badly aimed. Instead of passing through the target of his heart, the bullet had entered Lex's left shoulder and passed right through there instead.

"Lex, sweetheart, I'm sorry" Chloe cried, tears streaming down her face as she knelt over her bleeding boyfriend.

"You saved my life, Chloe" he choked out, severe pain hindering his speech, "You don't have anything to be sorry for"

"But I made him angry" she sobbed, "He wouldn't have done it if..."

"Shh" Lex whispered, putting his right hand up in her hair and trying to calm her, "I'll be okay" he promised, "Just help me up, please"

With some struggling, Chloe and Lex got up from the floor and she helped him into a chair by the desk. Next the blonde looked around for something to use for a bandage, but there didn't seem to be anything. Then she remembered Clark.

She glanced to the corner of the room and saw him lying there, seemingly dead, the red glow of the first bullet completely gone and a sickly green glow emanating brightly from the second.

Chloe felt nauseous just looking at him. She hadn't wanted him dead, just out of their lives.

'Well, even in death, you'll help us' she thought to herself as she walked over to Superman and tore roughly at his cape. A large piece in her hand, she went back to Lex and bound around the top of his arm and shoulder.

"Quick thinker" Lex said quietly, groggy from blood loss.

"For the bandage, or the shooting?" she asked and Lex looked up at her as she finished off his arm.

"Both" he told her, "You're an amazing woman, Chloe, even more amazing than I originally thought"

Chloe felt a hint of a smile pull at her lips. If nothing else had come good out of all this, Lex had told the truth and he loved her; she loved him too. Now it was all over and things could be put right, hopefully.

"You're not so bad yourself" she told him, hugging him awkwardly since he was sitting, she was standing, and his injured shoulder made it difficult.

"Should I call an ambulance or a doctor or something?" the blonde asked next, reaching for the phone.

"No" Lex stopped her, "we can't have anyone come in here, not with that over there" he explained, gesturing towards the fallen superhero with his head.

"So what do we do?" Chloe asked him, the reality only really starting to hit home now.

Clark was dead. Superman was dead. The body was in the room with them and she had killed him - both man and super-man.

"I have a private doctor I can call, he's discreet" Lex groaned as he pulled himself out of the chair, "but he can't come here"

He made his way over to the door and Chloe just watched him, shocked.

"Come on Chloe, we have to go" Lex urged her but she stayed rooted to the spot.

"You're gonna leave him there?"

"No" Lex said calmly, "we are going to leave him there, temporarily"

Chloe swallowed hard as Lex picked up his jacket and struggled to put it on over his injury, he knew he couldn't go outside the office like this and raise suspicion. Chloe saw his problem and helped him with the sleeves and then glanced back at the body of her former friend.

"Lex, we can't just go and leave him like that" she told him, shaking her head.

Inwardly, Lex cursed. It would have been so much easier to do all this without Chloe involved. If he could have shot Superman he would have got more pleasure from it and he wouldn't feel half as guilty as she seemed to, but he loved her and she had saved his life. She was involved now, as deep as he was.

"I'll tell you what" said Lex thinking quickly, "I'll go, take the guns and get them destroyed" he explained in a low voice to Chloe who was listening intently despite the fact that her eyes were stuck on the body in the corner of the room, "I want you to lock the door behind me. There are only two keys to the office so unless someone knocks the door down I'll be the only one who can get back in. You stay here and when I get back we'll deal with that" he referred to Clark with a gesture of his right hand, the only one that moved without pain.

Chloe swallowed hard again and nodded her head.

"Okay" she whispered, "I can do this, we can do this"

Lex allowed himself a small smile and hugged her with his right arm, dropping a kiss on top of her head.

"Yes, we can" he promised her, "You're a very brave woman"

Lex wandered over and picked up the guns, the one fired by Clark and the one fired by Chloe. He put them into the inside pockets of his jacket and headed for the door.

"I love you" he turned and whispered, just before he closed the door.

"I love you too" Chloe replied, locking the door as instructed.

It freaked Chloe out somewhat to be in the same room, alone with the body of Superman, especially since she knew it was Clark too. Now Lex was no longer there her mind was racing. What would Lana say when she found Clark was dead? Did she know his secret? What about Pete? What about Mrs Kent?

"What have I done?" she said aloud, starting to break down into long awaited tears, shock subsiding, guilt and sadness and anger washing over her in waves.

Suddenly a sound came from the far side of the room and Chloe turned to see Clark stir - he wasn't dead.

To Be Continued...