Chloe felt tired. The cold she had been fighting all week had taken a nasty turn leaving her totally drained. She could hardly sleep at night through the coughing fits. At least one of those nights Lana had gotten up to wake her with a glass of water in hand. Today she was sitting at her desk in the basement of the Daily Planet trying her hardest to concentrate. It was impossible. She wanted to cry at the thought of going to class. Her eyes were tired and her brain felt as though it were wrapped in tight gauze. Her head pounded mercilessly. She put her head down on folded arms trying desperately to clear her head. She closed her eyes.
She awoke with a jolt when she heard the doors burst open roughly. She had not realizing she had fallen asleep. Her heart was hammering in her chest from the surprise. It felt as though it would break free of her breast plate. Clark entering didn't notice. He was excited about something making him totally oblivious to anything else. She could see the excitement written on his face. His eyes sparkled and his mouth formed a wide glorious grin. It was the first genuine smile she had seen since his Dad's funeral. It was truly a beautiful sight.
"Chloe, can you get away? I want to show you something", he said barely containing himself. He looked as if he would self implode right there on the spot if she said no. Who was she to disappoint?
In an attempt to shake off her weariness Chloe shook her head slightly to clear the thick feeling inside her head, "yeah, yeah. No one will miss me tonight." She gathered what she needed from the desk and stood starting to asking, "what's…" She couldn't finish her sentence because her world shifted so violently. She felt everything tip dramatically as white stars filled then overtook her peripheral vision. The last thing she heard before darkness fell was Clark's voice calling her name from a great distance.
Clark had not been paying close attention when he first came in. He was grinning like an idiot but he couldn't help it. He was too excited and wanted to share his new discovery with Chloe. She was the only one he could come to and he appreciated that more than he'll ever be able to express in mere words. He hoped what he was going to show her tonight would be a start at showing his gratitude. He was rocking on the balls of his feet like an elated 5 year old. As he watched her stand from her desk the world slowed down as she began to fall. "Chloe!", he called with concern. In a blurry instant he was there to catch her and guide her body to floor. For the first time since he came in he noticed the paleness her of skin. He gently touched her forehead. She had a fever and a thin sheen of sweat covering her face.
Chloe was sick. He didn't know what to do. He was totally freaked out and ill equipped to deal with the situation. He sat on the floor trying to wake her. "Chloe, can you hear me? Chloe", he asked softly with more concern creeping into his voice every second she remained unresponsive.
On the floor with her head in Clark's lap her eyes slowly fluttered opened, "what…what's going on?"
"Thank God. You scared the hell out of me. You passed out. You're sick. Why aren't in bed?"
"I'm fine Clark. I just got a little light headed", her voice was raspy but stern.
"Chloe, you have a fever."
"I'm fine. What did you want to show me?"
"It can wait. I'm taking you home."
"Clark, I'm fine. Now help me up", she started to get up on her own.
He put a firm hand on her shoulder to restrict her movement, "take it easy Chloe. That last trip to the fortress didn't do you any favors. We're really going to have to keep a coat up there for you."
"Damnit, Clark I said I'm fine. Now let me up", she told him with a lot more edge in her voice than usual. She tried to push his hand away not in the mood to fight with him. She was tired and her head ached. She was getting edgy from the exhaustion she felt. To top things off she was pissed because she was showing weakness. This situation was totally unacceptable.
She gave him a stony glare which broke his resolve. He released his grip then stood allowing her movement again. He held out his hand to her. When she was on her feet again she began to sway and put her hand out reaching for her desk. "Dizzy", she told him. He quickly stepped beside her to stop her falling again. She leaned against him for support. She felt weak and hot as if the heat was turned up to the maximum temperature. "It's so hot", she told him quietly.
"Okay, hold on I'm taking you home", he said deftly scooping her up into his arms. She gave no protest this time.
"My car…", she muttered into his chest.
He almost laughed. She could barely keep her eyes open and she was worried about her car. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it", he told her. He looked down at her. Her eyes were already closed and he could feel her breathe even out. In the second it took him to gather her in his arms she had fallen asleep.
He super sped back to campus with Chloe's unmoving form in his strong arms. He carefully carried her into the room. "Chloe? Chloe, can you wake up for me?", he spoke brushing damp strands of hair from her warm forehead. "Chloe, I need you to help me get you into something a little more comfortable," he was unbuttoning her suit jacket attempting to remove it from her arms. She muttered incoherently. Her head rested on his shoulders as he worked the buttons, "Come on Chloe this would be a lot easier with your cooperation."
Chloe made no sign she heard him speaking to her, fine indeed he thought. He opened the top drawer of the dresser near the bed and was grateful to find a pair of sweats. He was able to get her upper garments off and a loose fitting tee shirt on. Miracles were real. The challenge now was getting her skirt off and the pants on. The task at hand left him feeling in over his head. He wanted his Mom. Nervously he said to no one, "How hard could it be?" He unzipped the skirt then cautiously slipped it down her legs. Without incident and his eyes closed he was able to get her undressed and redressed. He covered her with a blanket then went to the bathroom to soak a washcloth in cool water to put across her forehead. She seemed to be sleeping peacefully but she still felt unnaturally hot under his fingers. He was worried but knew this was a normal part of life. It still didn't make it any better having to sit and watch while someone he loved suffered.
Once he was satisfied she was secure in her room he went out for supplies. Before he did shopped however he felt an overwhelming urge to confide in his Mom. He super sped to Smallville to fill his Mom in on the situation. "It's okay Clark. Take care of Chloe. I'll be fine. Sweetheart, you can even bring her here if you want to." He smiled at his mother and took the list of items he needed to buy. Before leaving the farm he gathered up enough clothes for a weekend and headed for the door kissing his Mom on the cheek, "call if you need me."
He bought everything on the list his Mom had written out for him. He even included chicken noodle soup. It just seemed like the right thing to do. He was getting anxious. He felt like he was walking the isle of the drug store for hours. He wanted to get back to the dorm as soon as possible. But before that as promised he went back for her car.
When Clark arrived back at the dorm room Chloe was tangled in the blankets and was struggling in her sleep to get free. Her brow was knitted and her head moved from side to side. Her fists were white from clutching the blankets tightly. She was having a fever induced nightmare. He put the bags down and sat on the bed next to her placing a hand on hers. With his touch she calmed visibly. He would willingly let her borrow his strength through his touch. He watched her wishing he could protect her in her dreams. The best he could do was let her know he was there. He gently brushed a thumb across her forehead watching as the tension in her face was released with his touch.
After a few minutes he rinsed the cloth again. He then sat back to look after Chloe as she slept. For hours he was content to watch her sleep. Sometime during the night he heard Chloe crying out in her sleep, "please no…help me…Clark…let me out…please…"
He touched her hand as he did before but she fought him. He was worried she would hurt herself. No matter what he did she continued to fight. Finally he did the last thing he could think of to do. Hesitantly he laid the length of his body next to hers pulling her close to him whispering, "Chloe I'm here. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."
Sensing his presence next to her she snuggled up to him putting her head on his shoulder and draped an arm across his abdomen. She grabbed at the cloth of shirt as if he would disappear if she let go. He put a protective hand on her back hugging her close. With his other hand he brushed hair from her face. He could still feel heat coming from her. If her fever didn't break soon he would be taking her to the hospital.
As Clark lay beside his best friend his mind wondered then slowly sank in the depths of sleep. The warmth of the body beside him was like a sedative dragging him into slumber. He awoke with a start when the dorm room door swung open with a loud bang. Lana walked in to see Chloe and Clark in bed together. Lana looked totally surprised at the sight. Before he could react she was gone leaving the door to the room open. "Ridiculous", he said out loud. That was all it took to decide to take Chloe to Smallville. Dealing with Lana right now would be tedious at best. He wasn't in the mood to deal with it. Chloe was the most important thing right now.
He carefully extracted himself from under Chloe touching her forehead relieved that the heat had subsided. He went around the room gathering the necessities for a couple of days. By the time Lana decided to come back they'd be gone with no sign they had ever been there. Clark's plan was to have the room look as if no one had been there all night. The thought of setting Lana up to think she had hallucinated made Clark smile. Thank God for super speed.
He put everything in a backpack then picked up Chloe blanket and all. It might look suspicious but at the moment it didn't matter. He didn't want the confrontation. After one more look around the room he super sped them to the Kent Farm. "Mom", he called. Martha Kent met her son at the back door where he stood on the porch with his burden. "Clark! God, is that Chloe? Is she alright?"
Clark walked through the kitchen to the living room putting Chloe on the couch while speaking to his Mom, "I think so. She had a pretty high fever last night. I didn't want to move her around to much. This morning I just thought she'd be more comfortable here. Besides Lana came back from her Aunt's early."
"So you chose to run off. Clark!"
"Mom I'll talk to her later. Right now Chloe is more important", he sat on the coffee table lightly running his fingers through her hair.
"Has she woken up at all?"
"Not since last night but I fell asleep too. She didn't even wake up when I picked her up and brought her here."
"Okay sweetheart let's see if we can get her to wake up. She needs to at least drink something. If she doesn't we might have to make a trip to the emergency room."
"Chloe", Clark said in a sing song voice near her ear. "Come on time to wake up."
He heard Chloe ask in barely a whisper, "Clark can you fly?"
He looked surprised but was grinning then said, "If you wake up for me I'll tell you. I might even take you where ever your hearts desire."
Martha came back in the room. She saw the silly grin on her son's face and asked, "What is with that smile?"
"She's dreaming about me", he said giddy as a school boy.
"What make you say that?" she asked amused.
"She just asked if I could fly."
Chloe started to come around. With bleary eyes she could see Clark and his Mom looking at her. Confused by her surroundings she asked, "How did I get here?"
Clark gave her a knowing look then told her, "When we were leaving the Planet yesterday you passed out. I took you to the dorm then first thing this morning I brought you here."
Martha knelt beside Chloe asking, "Sweetie, how do you feel?"
Chloe was attempting to sit up while saying, "Terrible. My head feels like I got a barn raising going on but without Clark's elegance." She was smiling but her world lurched and she dropped back onto the pillow, "I guess I'll just lay here and be happy about it." She closed her eye tightly waiting for the dizziness to pass.
"Here drink this, sweetie", Martha said handing her a glass and two pills. Chloe took them weakly and began to drink greedily. "Easy or you'll make yourself sick", Martha told her gently.
After being relieved of the glass Chloe leaned back again closing her eyes. It didn't take long before she was asleep again. Clark's heart was lighter after hearing her voice. He really wasn't looking forward to another hospital visit. He went into the kitchen where he found his Mom cooking.
"Hey Mom what are you whipping up?"
"Home made chicken noodle soup."
"Better than canned stuff I bought yesterday."
She smiled up at her son then replied sadly, "I don't think I have made this since the last time your father had a cold."
"Are you alright Mom?"
"I'm fine Honey. Some days are harder than others but I have you."
Suddenly there was a yell from the next room, "NO!"
Both Clark and Martha ran from the kitchen to find Chloe sitting up right chest heaving. Clark was at her side and quickly brought her into an embrace. She was crying into his chest speaking wildly, "I couldn't get away. He was to strong. I was drugged. There was so much dirt. I couldn't breath."
All he could do was look at his Mom. He realized what she had been dreaming about. He had no idea that those memories still haunted her. He took her into his arms again, "I'm sorry Chloe. I'm so sorry I didn't get to you before that."
"I don't feel so good", she told him pushing mightily out of his arms.
He was momentarily stunned, "okay let me help you." Martha stepped aside.
Together they made there way along the hallway. He felt her urgency and her panic. He could hear the frantic beating of her heart. Once in the tiny bathroom she launched herself to the toilet heavy the meager contents of her stomach. As she dry heaved Clark felt helpless holding back her hair and rubbing her back to give comfort. This episode left her drained of any regained energy. She fell back against Clark. She could barely move now.
"How are you feeling now?"
"Weak", she said.
"Chloe, how often do you have that dream?"
"Only when total exhaustion takes over. There are a lot of nightmares...Kevin, Justin, Lionel. I can usually put them out of my head but sometimes they sneak up on me like this."
"Are you ready to go back into the living room?" he asked.
"I just need a couple more minutes."
He nodded willing to wait as long as she needed him too. He held her as she calmed. When he realized she had fallen asleep sitting there on the floor he took it upon himself to carry her back to the living room.
"How is she?" Martha asked when she saw Clark carrying Chloe toward her.
"I didn't know she still dreamed about that. It has been almost 5 years. She has never talked about it. I mean I knew she had nightmares right after but she hasn't mentioned it since then. I guess I can't blame her. I can't even imagine what it was like for her. She was buried alive alone in the dark."
"Honey, you got there and that's all that matters. She's alive and so are you."
"I just wish I could protect her in her dreams."
"I know you do and I think she knows that, too."
"I have never felt so helpless. I was scared I wouldn't get to her in time. She was in my arms and for a second I though I'd lost her. I don't think I could have survived losing her."
His mother just looked her son. He was expressing feeling he usually kept hidden away. There was only one thing she could say to her son, "Clark…sweetie you need to tell her."
"Mom…I've caused so pain and plenty of nightmares to choose from."
"Sweetie, you can't keep running from what you're feeling. It's just going to hurt you. All three of you."
"All three…"
"Lana."
He looked away from his Mom, "I have always been in love with Lana. I know we have drifted. I'm not sure what to do now. There is such a gap huge between us. With Chloe it has always been different. We've grown closer. She's my best friend. I have always known I could talk to her. I'm scared I'm going to loose her. What if intimacy tears us apart? I don't know if I could survive that."
"Sweetheart, I know this is hard. But love is never easy. You really need to resolve this triangle before someone gets hurt."
"Mom", he said. She never hesitated to surprise with her bluntness. "City girls", he mused. She was always the one willing to bring up the hard subjects and accept uncomfortable results to a situation. He was thinking of the time his parents caught him trying to sneak Lana out of the house.
"Clark Chloe loves you. She's not going anywhere. Talk to her tell her about what's going on in here", she told her son placing her hand over his heart. He looked down at his mother's hand and knew she was right. She was always right.
He left his Mom in the kitchen. He went to the living carefully sitting on the edge of the couch not wanting to disturb the girl laying there but still wanting to be as close as possible. Without coercion she lifted her head giving him room. With her head in his lap he absentmindedly played with her blonde strands. He looked down suddenly realizing she was the girl he wanted to be with. This was home. He can't hide behind the cloak of friendship forever.
A few hours had passed. Clark had rested his head on the back of the couch with his feet on the table. He woke suddenly to darkness. If he had been human he would have been very uncomfortable. He saw that the blankets had been tossed aside. He didn't see Chloe. He felt panic rise in his chest. He looked around the room and then through the walls. He saw Chloe sitting at the kitchen table.
"Hey", he said.
She gave a little yelp of surprise.
"Sorry. I guess you're feeling better", he said pointing at the bowl in front of her.
"Yeah, you know after 30 hours of sleep I woke up starving. Sorry if I woke you."
"No it's okay. I'm glad you're up walking around. I was afraid I'd have to make a trip to the emergency room. You were very uncooperative."
She smiled at him then remembered, "what did you want to show before all this merriment took place? I remember that wicked grin you were giving me at the Planet."
"It's a surprise. I promise once your feeling better I'll show you. But for now let's get some sleep. We can go upstairs if you want. I think my bed is big enough for the two of us."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, come on. It's more comfortable then the couch. Beside I don't want to leave you alone."
She smile then said, "I'm sorry I scared you."
"I'm just glad I was there."
"Clark you are always there. You are the only thing in my life I can really count on."
"Most of the time", he said.
She nodded, "when it counts. You're there."
With that he stood holding out his hand for her to take saying, "come on. You should try to get some more sleep."
As if on cue she yawned wide, "I guess it would be useless to protest at this point."
He gave her a nod then said, "we can put in a movie."
She agreed. They tip toed up the steps to his room. He kept a supportive hand around her waist, "you okay."
"Yeah, just feeling a little wore down."
He helped her into bed tucking her in asking, "are you warm enough?"
"Yeah."
He went to the other side and crawled in. He closed his eyes.
Through the darkness he heard her tentative voice cut through the dark night, "Clark?"
He looked at her. He could see something that looked like fear in her eyes. "Come here", he said. She maneuvered herself into the crook of his arm. He wrapped his arms around her. She fit perfectly.
For a long while there was silence. The only sound that filled his ears was her breathing. He could smell her shampoo and soap. He could feel the slightly exaggerated heat from the low grade fever she was fighting. He loved her.
"Chloe", he whispered thankful for the darkness and silence.
"Hmmm", was his the only response he received from the woman tucked in shoulder.
"I love you", he told her hugging both arms around the circumference of her body.
He was surprised when her heard her voice barely above a whisper, "Clark, can you fly?"
He smiled knowing she dreamed about him so often. After a few moments he was again lulled into sleep by the warmth of her body.
It seemed like seconds later he heard a knock at his bedroom door. He groaned not wanting to leave his comfortable positions.
"Hey Smallville, Lana is on the phone", Clark heard Lois say as his door swung open. He nearly leaped out of the bed. But he held himself in place knowing Chloe was still asleep on his chest. The only part of her that could be seen was a tuft of blonde hair sticking out from under the blankets. She had buried herself completely in the warmth of his body. The only other sound he heard Lois utter was, "uh…oh." She stepped back into the hall telling Lana on the other end of the phone a blatant lie, "Hey, Lana he's nowhere to be found. I think Mrs. Kent has him doing some kind of farm boy choir. I'll tell him you called, okay?"
Lois walked back into the room saying, "she sounded suspicious Smallville."
"Wonderful", he groaned.
"Who do you have there, anyway?" she asked referring to the barely visible blonde hair.
"Lois I only know one blonde", he told her quietly.
Clark could have sworn he heard Lois' thoughts click into place before she screamed, "CHLOE!" He felt Chloe stir but she wasn't ready to wake up yet. He put a finger to his lips indicating a plea to keep her voice down.
"Lois, please be quiet. I want her to sleep", he said in a low voice. He did not make an attempt extract himself from Chloe's grip.
"What's going on Clark? Don't make me hurt you."
"She wasn't feeling well yesterday morning. I brought her here because I thought she'd be more comfortable than in the dorms. Beside I think my Mom enjoys being able to take care her… kids."
"Your Mom did seem a little happier this morning. However, she didn't mention the two of you sleeping together. What's with the compromising position, anyway?"
He glared at her, "She was having a nightmare. I must have fallen asleep."
Lois kept glaring at him from the doorway. Finally he conceded, "okay." He slipped out from under Chloe careful not to wake her. Before went to Lois he brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.
When he tuned around he saw Lois' features soften. She was looking at him differently, "you are a good guy, Smallville. Make her happy." With that she walked away. "Ahh", 'he was tempted to crawl back into bed but thought better of it. He decided he would have some breakfast do some of choirs then check on Chloe. He needed to clear his head. He was starting to think his whole life was coming to a pass. Which fork in the road would he dare take?
He ate then went outside to breathe in the country air. He loved the wide open areas. It made him glad he didn't grow up in Metropolis. He started his chores if for no other reason to shake his brain free of conflicting thoughts.
He was so deep in thought he didn't hear Chloe come up behind him, "hey handsome."
"Whoa", he exclaimed startled.
"Sorry."
"It's okay. How are you feeling? You still look a little tired."
"I'm better."
"I'm happy to hear that."
"Clark what did you want to show me?"
"I told you it's a surprise."
"Clark!" she demanded.
"Chloe!" he returned. He was enjoying the banter and holding his surprise out of her reach.
"Come on this isn't fair."
"Well, life isn't fair is it?" He laughed. She punched his arm. He told her, "I promise I will show you what I wanted to show. In the mean I would love it if you'd go back in the house and lie down until I'm done out here. I'm worried about you. You've been out of it for almost three days."
"Clark."
"Please."
"Okay, okay. Your wish is my command."
"Thank you. I'll be in soon. You have my word."
As promised when he was done in the barn he went to check on Chloe. He found her in his bed buried deep in the covers. He sat on the bed, "Chloe?"
She stretched at the sound at her name, "hey."
"Hi. You're looking better. You feel like eating? Mom has dinner ready."
"Wow, was I asleep that long?"
"Long enough. Are you hungry?"
"I could eat", with that they headed down stairs to a waiting Martha Kent and Lois Lane.
After dinner was cleaned up he whispered in Chloe's ear, "its time."
She looked at him smiling, "time for what?"
"Your surprise. Put this one", he said handing her a coat and giving her a smile back. He nodded his head toward the door. Once they were outside he guided her through the barn going in one door and out the other.
Once they were on the other side he swept her off her feet in one quick movement. She let out an audible gasp, "what are you doing, Clark?"
"Do you trust me, Chloe?"
She looked at him and said, "With my life."
"Are you ready?" he asked. She gave him a tentative nod without knowing what he was about to do. "Hold on tight", he said. She did as he commanded throwing strong arms around his neck.
Chloe looked at his face. She did as she always did. She memorized his strong features. He never failed to amaze her. She eventually tore her gaze away from him to take in her surroundings in the twilight. She watched in awe as Clark gathered energy from the very ground he walked on. She could actually see the grass ripple as if pavement on a hot summer's day. She tightened her grip around Clark's neck when she suddenly felt the ground drop out from beneath them.
She closed eyes only daring to open them when she heard his voice, "are you alright?"
She was once again in awe. The sight was absolutely beautiful. He had jumped high into the air but they weren't falling. She suddenly realized what was happening, "Oh my God you can fly!"
He laughed, "I can fly. Tell me if I go to high. The air gets thin pretty quick. I don't want you to pass out."
"This is why you came to The Planet with that goofy grin."
"Yeah, I wanted to show you but you had other plans like scaring the hell out of me."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I'm just glad you're feeling better."
It was a strange sensation to be having a conversation out side of an airplane hundreds of feet above the ground. But nothing else could compare. Nothing.
She had her ear pressed to his chest listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart. It was an amazingly calming sound. She closed her eyes content in his arms high above the ground listening to soft thumping. As she listened she could sense a gradual change in his demeanor. She looked up quickly when she heard his heart suddenly take a frantic flutter. She knew something had to be wrong.
Looking in his eyes she saw that he was completely freaked out. He was terrified which in turn made Chloe extremely nervous especially since she could see no danger threatening them, "Clark, what is it? What's wrong?" If he was afraid of something up here…well she really didn't want to think about that. This was not cool when there's no safety net.
"What?" he asked. His voice sounded strained.
"Clark, you know you're making me kind of nervous."
"I'm sorry. Um, there's something I want to tell you but…God Chloe I'm scared."
"You can tell me anything. What's got you so freaked out?"
He hesitated then said, "you…me." He let that sink in a second before saying what he was truly feeling, "I love you."
"What?"
"Chloe, I…Chloe you have been my constant. You have been my moral conscious on more than one occasion. You have been my best friend and companion. You hold my heart and you always have. I was scared of what you would think of me. You are the girl of my dreams. I love you and I'm sorry I never had the courage to tell you before now. There was so much I had to figure out alone. When my…when Jor-El came into my life he had me confused and terrified of my destiny. I though I was here to take over the world. I fought it. I almost lost because I was alone. Then my Dad dies and I was lost. I never meant to hurt or neglect our friendship. I just hope you can understand why. There is still a lot I have to get through but now I know I'm not alone. You are the compass that guide me…you."
She was stunned by his admissions. This is everything she'd ever wanted. She promised she would wait for him and now he was saying the perfect words. She didn't want to ruin the moment but she had to ask, "What about Lana?"
"Chloe, I love Lana…" he hesitated before continuing. "But I'm in love with you. Truth is if Lana left now I'd be heart broken but if you left me I would simply be broken", he whispered.
Chloe wasn't sure what she should say to this. They stayed silent for a long while floating above the city lights. Clark just let the wind take them. Clark made his through low cloud cover confident he wasn't putting Chloe in any undue danger. He landed lightly on a cliff.
He let her feet once again touch the ground, "where are we?"
"Colorado. This is Conundrum Peak. I thought you'd appreciate the irony", he took a few steps away from her. He looked down then punched his hand through the snow. When pulled free he smiled. In his hand lay a flat shiny purple stone. "Perfect", he said to himself.
He walked back to her pulling a MP3 player and a small set of speakers from his pocket. He was thankful the night was brightened by a full moon. He pushed play then extended his hand to her, "may I have this dance?"
Chloe's eyes glistened by tears accepted his hand. She was speechless. By the light of the moon under a clear starry sky on a deserted mountain top they danced. They danced to make up for all the lost years. He didn't want this night to end but it was cold and although he wasn't affected by the temperature he knew she would be, "we better get going before you freeze."
"I'm warm enough."
"It's time to go. It's a long flight home but before we go I you to keep something with you. It will be a reminder of this night", he held the small stone out to her placing in gently in her hand. She had no more words but plenty of tears. He winked at her then he quickly gathered her in his arms. Chloe did as before and watched as Clark gathered energy from the ice and snow. Conundrum Peak swayed under the power of Clark Kent, the Superman.
They were flying for a long time before the silence was broken by Chloe, "Clark, can I ask you something?"
"Of course, you can ask anything you want I have no more secrets just unanswered questions."
"How long have been able to do this…I mean fly?"
"Actually not long. I had to make sure I could control it before I took you with me. When I develop a new power it happens all of a sudden. Flying has been in the works for a couple of years."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, x-ray vision started freshman year of high school. I'd get a headache and all of a sudden I'm looking through a wall, people, plants, animals anything in my path. At least I didn't hurt anyone."
"Have you accidentally hurt anyone?"
"Well, I nearly burned the school down."
"Holy crap that was you in biology!" she laughed.
"Yeah," he said sheepishly.
"Tell me more about this whole flying bit."
"When we were in our freshman year I used to have dreams that I was flying. When I woke up I'd drop. You wouldn't believe how many times I broke my bed."
She started laughing, "I wondered why your mattresses were on the floor. It was weird because one day your bed just disappeared."
"Yeah, my Dad and I just got tired of fixing the stupid thing."
"So, you started flying while you slept and without being able to control it? Is that way you are the only one awake in classes. I guess the gig would have been up if you started floating away from classes. When was the first tome you controlled it?"
"Well, remember the tornadoes?"
"Hard to forget the night you left me alone on the dance floor."
"I'm sorry Chloe. I had to go. When I found her she was trapped in the truck. I watched as it was picked up by the funnel. I just jumped into it not really knowing the outcome. I was able to will myself to the truck. But I think it was more jumping really high with good aim."
"You know Clark that day has been forgiven. Maybe not forgotten but definitely forgiven."
"Thanks. Then in our sophomore year I would wake up in different places. Once I woke up in the middle of route 8. Lex almost hit me with his car. I even woke up in the caves not knowing how I got there. Every time I woke up some place different I had been dreaming of flying over Smallville."
"Wow, Clark. You wouldn't even know if anyone seen you."
"I guess. I don't really think about that. Oh then there was the missile. It had already launched. I had to get to it. I just gathered the energy and jumped. I really didn't have control then but some how I knew in was in me to do what had to be done. You know I made to into the atmosphere. I don't need to breathe."
"You are an amazing individual Clark Kent…this has been wonderful night. It has been better. It was perfect. Thank you."
"No, Chloe. Thank you. I wanted this to be special for you. I wanted this to be a being for us. I wanted this to be an expression of all things I could never say."
He felt her grip him tighter, "this is more than I could ever imagine. I love you, Clark." She slowly ran her hand around the back of Clark's neck to draw his closer. When there lips touched sparks flew and fireworks exploded. It started out soft and careful but grew deeper and passionate. It was a truly exhilarating experience with no Earth to bind them.
There were no more words to be said. They were content in their silence. Clark felt free for the first time in his life. He was brought back Earth so to speak by the slight movement in his arms. Chloe had fallen asleep and was snuggling as close to his body as possible. He could feel her entire body tremble from the cold air. He brought her back to barn just before dawn carrying her to the loft his Dad had built for him years ago.
Once again he found himself sitting across from Chloe watching her sleep. He knew they had a lot to talk about but in this moment none of that matter and he wouldn't trade this for anything. "Good night Fair Lady. Thank you for waiting for me", he whispered kissing her forehead. This was just the beginning. It was the beginning of life, the beginning of everything.