Title: Nightingale
Author: apeygirl
Pairing: Chlark
Rating: M
Warnings: smut, angst, dark Chlark, futurefic
Short summary: Future, post-season seven, AU. Chloe surrenders to her power, Clark tries to save her from herself.
This idea came from some of Allison Mack's quotes before season seven about Chloe's healing power being martyr-like, also from Chloe's closed-off nature in that season. It also the terribly depressing place her power could have led.
SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV
"There is no such thing," the boy repeated. He'd been repeating it since his father had tucked him in for the night. He was just scared about tomorrow. That was all. That was what his father said.
Except he wasn't. Not really. It was his father that was scared about tomorrow. His mother, too. He wasn't scared of the big cocoon. It just flashed lights that went around and around. After was a little scary. The last time there'd been an after, his mom had cried all the way home.
He didn't get that. Maybe he'd have to get treatments again. Maybe he'd lose all of his hair again. So what? People gave him toys and ice cream and all of his friends from school sent cards. It was a fair trade.
It was the lady that scared him. She wore a dark cloak with a hood and she stared at him. Except she didn't. Because she wasn't real. "You're not real," he said to her, hoping that gave her the message, hoping she'd go away.
"No. I'm not real." She smiled. "Go back to sleep."
The last two nights, he'd seen her at his window. But he'd run away. He'd crawled into bed with his mom and dad. Not tonight, though. His dad said so. He knew why. His dad didn't want him to hear his mom cry. Fine. He was eight now. He could chase her off. "Since you're not real, you should go." He pulled down his blanket, slowly pulling out the yellow bat that came with his whiffle ball. "Or I'll make you."
She laughed. He wished she wouldn't. It made her seem real. "I want to go, but I want you to give me something first."
She moved closer. He smelled soap, like she'd had a bath not too long ago, and coffee. Things that weren't real didn't smell like soap and coffee. He saw a pale hand move to her face, a finger in front of her mouth. "Please don't scream," she whispered. "I'm really not going to hurt you."
"What do you want?" He tried to keep his lips from trembling. You weren't supposed to show ghosts, even real ones, that you were afraid... Or was that dogs? "Are you a burglar?"
"Maybe." She moved closer. "But I don't steal money."
He clutched his bat closer. "Do you steal toys?"
She smiled. "No. I steal sickness." She whispered it, like it was big secret.
He tilted his head. "That's stupid. Why do you want to steal that?"
"No good reason. I just collect sicknesses. I heard you have a good one."
She sat on the edge of his bed. Maybe he was just distracted by the silly things she said, but she wasn't that scary up close. "Mine's not so great. It makes my hair fall out and everyone hugs me too much."
"Might sound lame to you, but I'm totally jealous."
He smiled. "Really?"
"Yeah." She leaned in. "It won't take much, you know. Instead of all the yucky tests and treatments and pills that make your tummy hurt, I could just take it all away."
"Why?" He was eight, not stupid. He'd heard his mom and dad talk about hospital bills. Why would anybody want something his mom was trying to pay doctors to take away.
"I told you. I'm a collector."
"Yeah, but... What's the catch?" He smiled a little. He'd heard his dad say those words. They sounded cool and grown-up. "Yeah. What's the catch?" he repeated.
She laughed. "No catch. I just think you should play baseball and eat too much candy and go roller-skating."
Those things were more fun than sitting in bed, surrounded by presents he was too tired to play with. He blinked up at her. "What do I have to do?"
"Here's the hard part."
He took a deep breath.
She held out her arms. "You're going to have to give me a hug." Her voice cracked a little. Like his mom's sometimes did. And maybe she needed a hug. Maybe real ghosts got lonely. He sat up and leaned forward, letting her hold him. He felt her hands run up his back to his neck. Something wet hit the top of his head and it was warm there, and warm on the back of his neck... His last thought was that it was so bright...
SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV SV
He flew low. He'd find her tonight. He just had to think where to look. He'd checked the hospitals, but nothing turned up. But she had a pet project. He knew that much. Two nights ago, he'd spotted her in this neighborhood. She'd been pretty spry as she ducked out of sight. That told him that she hadn't finished.
They had been going on for a year, these "miraculous" healings. There were probably more than just what was reported. Some people might not have even known their time was running out. But the Nightingale would know. She'd sense it. The Nightingale - after Florence Nightingale. That was what Lois called the cloaked woman that roamed the city.
He had other names for her. Stupid. Foolhardy. Meddlesome. He preferred to call her these names. It was preferable to calling her that other name. The one he feared she'd soon earn: Dead.
He hovered, closing his eyes, seeking out her breath. He'd know it anywhere...
West. Just a little to the west. He flew quickly and silently. She was getting good at hiding from him. The lead lining her cloak did most of the work, but she was advancing in sneakiness. And why? Because she didn't want him to stop her. She just wouldn't listen.
He spotted it then, a denseness through the trees. He flew lower, watching first. She wouldn't get away tonight. She stumbled under a tree and he almost smiled at the thought that, after all these weeks, he'd have her. But his smile fell before it formed. She was... shaking. And violently. He swooped, grasping her around the waist and flying upward. He wouldn't give her the chance to get away this time.
"No," she gasped, wriggling in his grip. "Let me go. I told you..."
"Shhh!" She pulled her closer, closing the cloak around her as she trembled. "I'll get you somewhere safe, Chloe."
TBC