Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville, Superman, or any of the characters affiliated with them, all of which belong to their respective companies and owners. Only this story is my original work.

Author's note: This is the first fanfic I have submitted to this site, so I hope all of you enjoy it! However, I welcome any feedback any readers may have on this story, whether it be positive or negative, so please leave comments so that I can improve my craft. No flames though, please. Enough of that, though, you are probably anxious to read the actual story, right? This tale begins right after the season 2 episode Rush, with a slight change on my part to the ending of that episode: Clark did apologize to Lana about his actions while on Red K, but he did not try to get her to date him again.

Clark was standing on the top floor of the loft, looking out the window at the stars, as he had done many times before in his "Fortress of Solitude." Coming up here helped him think whenever he had to figure out the answer to a problem. Tonight, however, the fortress wasn't helping him much. Clark had been up here almost two hours now, and he was no closer to figuring out what he should could almost hear his adoptive father's words, which he had spoken to Clark concerning his son's feeling for Lana Lang several years before. "Clark, women are complicated. Even if you were the smartest male on earth, you would never understand them completely. So before you even start trying to do that, you need to sort your own thoughts out, son." 'Oh, boy, was that the truth.' Clark thought to himself. Clark had never had a great track record with women. There was his own on-again-off again relationship with Lana, the brief amount of time he had spent with Jessie, the girl in witness protection, his slightly longer courtship of Kyla, the skin walker who had died because he couldn't save her…and whatever there was between him and Chloe, one of his best friends. Clark wasn't sure he was ready to even think about that last one yet, but recent events may have made addressing that awkward subject almost inevitable. Yes, women were complicated enough for the otherwise intelligent Clark, a young man who had used his photographic memory to memorize the contents of his family's old encyclopedia set and could have excelled in every subject in school if he wasn't afraid making all A's would draw unwanted attention to his person, under ordinary circumstances. Adding red meteor rock into the mix, however, only seemed to make things more complicated for Clark. The trouble was, even though red meteor rock made Clark "high" it really only made him do what he really wanted to do at the time anyway, and he always remembered everything he had done afterward and his reasons for doing so. Like his father had said, those feelings had to come from somewhere. That was why his own recent actions while under the influence of red meteor rock were weighing so heavily on Clark Kent now. He hadn't been in his "right mind" at the time, and his actions hadn't really been his fault, but that didn't mean his behavior hadn't meant something. Especially how he had acted towards Chloe…

As if the fates were mocking him, Clark heard someone clear her throat at the top of the loft stairs behind him. Although Clark had been too preoccupied with his thoughts to hear this person enter the barn or come up the stairs, he would know that voice anywhere, even if that voice's owner hadn't said a word to him in days. "Chloe?!" Clark started in shock at having his thoughts interrupted by the subject of his own private musings. Chloe's rigid posture, crossed arms, and the perturbed look on her face did little to relieve the young alien's anxiety. It was clear his friend was upset with him, but Clark couldn't fathom why that was. She had plenty to be mad at him for, of course, but he didn't think she remembered anything that had happened when she had been infected by the parasite. Pete certainly hadn't. So Clark really couldn't imagine what was causing Chloe to act so upset with him. Nor could he explain the hurt, betrayed look in her eyes. "Chloe, what's wrong?"

Chloe sighed deeply. "What's wrong, Clark is that, until recently, I thought I could trust you. Oh, I knew you had your secrets, and still do, but I always thought I could trust you to do the right thing, the decent thing. Even during that whole bad boy biker act you pulled earlier this year, I thought you were just going through a rebellious phase..."

Clark gulped. It was clear that Chloe was gearing up to deliver a verbal tirade against him, and, since he figured he deserved at least some of the tongue lashing his friend was going to give him, he remained silent as she continued speaking. "Heck, even when Lana told me that she caught you making out with another girl a few days ago, when you were supposed to go on a date with her, I wouldn't believe it. I told her that Clark Kent would never do that to anyone, especially someone you supposedly care about as much as Lana Lang. I told her she must have mistaken you for someone else, or not understood what she had really seen. Against all evidence to the contrary, I stood up for you against my own friend and roommate, Clark Kent!"

Chloe sighed. "After that, she avoided me for days, which wasn't easy in my small house. And Lana didn't just seem mad at me Clark; she actually acted like it was painful just to be around me." Clark nodded his head solemnly. He could see where Chloe was heading with her words, and it was not to a pleasant topic of conversation. "And ever since I recovered from the parasite, I've also felt profoundly guilty around her for no discernible reason. Well, finally, earlier today, I put two and two together, and I just came out and asked Lana if I had been the girl she caught you kissing."Chloe looked accusingly at Clark. "And she said yes. Oh, she said it wasn't really my fault, you understand. She knew I wasn't in my right mind at the time, that I couldn't help what I did. Even so, I can't help but feel that event has put a real strain on my relationship with my friend…with two of my friends, actually." Clark knew the last part of that remark had been referring to himself, as well as Lana. Chloe continued. "But Lana is right. I was infected with a mind-altering parasite when I kissed you, Clark. I wasn't myself. What's your excuse!? What reason could you possibly have to not only cheat on Lana, but also take advantage of your best friend when she was not in control of her own faculties!?"

Clark felt about 3 inches tall when tears began flowing of Chloe's eyes. But his friend didn't give him a chance to apologize or explain himself before her face hardened and she jabbed her right index finger at Clark accusingly."You know how much I care about you Clark Kent! I don't know why I still do, after all the times you have let me down…" Those words felt like a hammer blow to Clark Kent's stomach, and this time, his invulnerability could not cushion the blow. "But I do! And you knew that, and you still took advantage of me!" Chloe's anger suddenly seemed to fizzle out as her tears began to fall again. It was as if the blond teen simply didn't have the energy to be angry any more after the last few emotionally draining days she had experienced. Clark desperately wanted to hold his friend until her tears went away, as he had done a few times before, but he knew Chloe would not allow that this time.

Looking almost despondent, Chloe finally pulled herself together to stop her own tears, at least for now. With a pleading look in her eyes, the young woman managed to look right at her friend from another planet. "Why would you do that Clark?! Please tell me, because I really want to know. I would really like some kind of rational explanation for what you did, because I can't reconcile any of it with the good guy I thought you were and….I don't know if we can keep being friends if you don't give me something to go on. Something to tell me, that despite all evidence to the contrary, you aren't a total jerk who just stabs people in the back or uses them whenever it suits him. Because I really don't want to lose you, Clark, but I don't see how we could possibly remain friends if that's the kind of person you really are." Chloe's shoulders sagged, and for the first time since Clark had met her, the young woman looked completely defeated and emotionally spent. Clark hated himself for having put one of his best friends through that kind of emotional turmoil through his own actions, even if he hadn't been in complete control of himself at the time.

Obviously not expecting an actual answer from Clark that would satisfy her, Chloe turned around and started down the barn stairs, but was stopped by the sound of Clark's voice, which caused the yellow haired teen to turn around in surprise. "Pete drugged me, Chloe."

Chloe looked at the dark-haired young man behind her with a look that only half way resembled disbelief. Her next words were said in a stutter. "Don't…don't try to pin this on Pete, Clark…" "I'm not trying to pin anything on anyone." Clark interrupted her. "Pete wasn't himself either. I don't blame him for what he did when he was influenced by the parasite. But he did slip me a drug after I wouldn't stop trying to get him to the hospital. He thought it would make me 'loosen up' like you and him. And before it wore off, it actually did make me lose my inhibitions quite a bit. The effect hadn't quite worn off yet when you kissed me, I kissed you back, and Lana saw the whole thing."

Chloe slowly edged closer to Clark, using her keen investigative mind to look for any signs of deception on her friend's face. She found none. Clark gulped. He just hoped Chloe believed his excuse for his recent outlandish behavior, since it was technically the truth, just not all of it. Clark's unique physiology did react to red meteor rock like the substance was a drug. In fact, as far as Clark knew, it was the only substance on earth that could disrupt his Kryptonian brain chemistry, although he did not know this for sure since he was the not the kind of person to willingly experiment with drugs. It was simply too great a risk for someone as powerful, and potentially destructive, as himself to take. Finally deciding that Clark was telling the truth, Chloe let out a sigh of relief as she dried her tears with her right hand and leaned against the guard rail that overlooked the first floor of the barn, reminding Clark how Chloe had demonstrated her trust In him a few day ago by willing falling off said guardrail, knowing Clark would catch her. Of course, she hadn't been in her right mind then, but Clark still thought that action might have revealed an aspect of Chloe Sullivan's personality he had not suspected before: the extent of her trust in him.

Chloe's surprised voice and shocked expression interrupted Clark's though process. "Oh. Wow. I did not know that. I'm sorry Clark. If what you're saying is true, I've really misjudged you. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusion so quickly without hearing your side of the story first." Chloe gave a nervous chuckle. " Jeez, some reporter I am, huh? Jumping to conclusions without having all the facts first…" The young woman looked down in shame. "If I keep going like this, I'll be working at the Inquisitor before long." "Chloe." Clark interrupted his friend in a firm, but gentle tone. "It's okay. I accept your apology. And I'm sorry too. For what I did, and because I should have told you what happened myself when you where at the hospital, and explained it to you then. I just didn't want to make things more awkward than they already were. Recent events have been really weird for me as well."

Chloe slowly sidestepped Clark's attempt to give her a friendly hug, then laughed weakly. Given the events of the past few days, Chloe thought even friendly physical contact between herself and Clark could be awkward."Yeah. I bet they have. But at least you were able to save the day again. Like you always seem to do."

Clark looked sheepish. "It was really not a big deal. And I don't save people that often…"

Chloe raise an eyebrow "Yes, you do Clark. You rescue people from the jaws of death on a pretty regular basis." Before Clark could come up with some lame alternate explanation for his heroics, Chloe raised her hand to defer his comment. "But I'm not going to try to overanalyze that, or figure out how you do that, at least not today. I just wanted to thank for saving me. Not just today. The truth is Clark…you save me all the time, even more often than you know. You save me every day." This last sentence was said in a whisper Clark could barely hear from his position only a few feet in front of his friend, and Chloe quickly looked away in embarrassment. "Wow. That sounded corny. Sorry about that. Is there any chance we can just write off that last sentence as me spouting gibberish after being caught up in the emotional rollercoaster recent events have caused us all?"

Clark still looked a little shocked at Chloe's words. 'You save me every day? What did she mean by that?'Quickly recovering, Clark lied. "Yeah. Sure. What are friends for?" In reality, he wasn't sure he would ever be able to forget that sentence coming from one of his best friends.

Chloe nodded resolutely, determined to keep her emotional barriers up for the rest of this conversation. "Good. Well, I'm glad we can finally get all that straightened out and can go back to being friends again….Hey, wait a second." Chloe remembered something very important. She honestly couldn't believe she hadn't caught it before. "You didn't tell Lana any of this. She said you did try to apologize the day after everything happened, but that you tried to pass of your behavior as acts of 'temporary insanity.' If you are telling me the truth, why didn't you just tell Lana that Pete had drugged you before we…did what we did? If that's what really happened, you need to tell Lana! She's still heartbroken because she thinks you intentionally cheated on her!"

'And there it is.' Clark thought to himself. 'The crux of my current dilemma. Why didn't I just tell Lana that Pete had drugged me? I thought of that explanation almost immediately after I knew Chloe and Pete were out of danger. I could have just told Lana that bit of the truth, and my relationship with her would be back on track. The trouble is I'm not sure that's what I want anymore.' Clark stared down at his shoelaces like they had suddenly become the most interesting objects in the world. "I can't tell Lana what really happened, Chloe, and I would appreciate if you wouldn't either."

Chloe crossed her arms defiantly across her chest. "I'm not keeping a secret that hurts my friend this much. At least not without a damn good reason, Clark!"

The alien nodded. "I understand. But the problem is that if I tell Lana the truth and she believes it, she will want to pick things up with me right where the two of us left off. She'll want us to try and start dating again. I'm just not sure if I'm ready for that yet, or if that's what I want anymore."

Chloe looked guilty now. "Clark, If this because you are trying to spare my feelings and save our friendship by not dating Lana…"

Clark shook his head emphatically. "No. Chloe, it's a lot more complicated than that. I don't know if I'm still feeling the aftereffects of whatever Pete slipped me, or if I'm just having trouble making sense of all the things that happened when I was under the influence, but my thoughts are all jumbled up in my head, and it's confusing the hell out of me. I really don't think it would be right to try to patch things up with Lana until I can sort it out. And I certainly wouldn't want to start dating her when I barely know which way is up in. It wouldn't be fair to her for us to begin a relationship while I am like this. Do you understand where I'm coming from?"

Chloe shook her head as she once again reminded herself that there was much more to her friend than the simple farm boy he pretended to be. Clark could be very mysterious at times, and his thoughts sometimes went in directions even she, a hacker, reporter and former city girl, had trouble following. "Not really Clark. But it seems you are having a minor intellectual crisis here. Do you want to talk about what's really bothering you, or do you need some more time to think about all of this by yourself?"

Clark had to resist the urge to laugh. 'Chloe, you are a great friend, but you are absolutely the last person I can talk to about what's really bothering me. Except for Lana, maybe.' But what the farm boy said was. "I think I need another day to figure this out on my own. Thanks for offering to help though."

Chloe smiled. "Anytime. You have yourself a deal, Clark. I will give you one more day to figure out what you need to say to Lana. But if you haven't told her the truth within the next 24 hours, I'm doing it for you, understood?" Chloe's tone did not leave any room for disagreement, and made it clear she did not want to discuss this issue any further, so Clark just nodded his head in assent. "Good. Now, if you have nothing else you want to say to me, I need to get home before my father notices I'm out of the house this late at night. Good luck on figuring things out Clark. Try not to let your thoughts keep you up too late though, we still have school tomorrow, and I'll expect you to be there early, as usual, to help me finish up the layout for tomorrow's issue of The Torch."

"Sounds good. Drive safe." Clark replied as his friend walked down the stairs, out of the barn, and toward her car. As he watched her car fade into the distance with his telescopic (not x-ray) vision, the youngest Kent once again wondered whether or not his relationship with his blond haired friend might be in this process of changing as a result of his recent exposure to red meteor rocks, and Chloe's infection by the cave parasite. And if so, in what way? Clark knew he would keep up his end of the bargain and tell Lana the truth about Pete drugging him and causing him to act the way he had during the recent incident at the Talon. He was merely trying to figure out if that was the only thing he needed to tell his raven haired friend, or if there was another pressing matter that would need to be addressed: the possibility that he may actually be developing some not so friendly feelings for a certain Chloe Sullivan.

Hope you enjoyed chapter one! I should have chapter 2 up very soon. But please leave comments so I know how I did on this chapter!