I own nothing, except my brain…

"You miss her." Clark looked up from the picture as Martha Kent strolled into the picture. Clark shook his head quickly, ignoring the pang of guilt hitting his chest.

"She knows what she's doing mom, I'm letting her be who she wants to be. She wanted the freedom, I'm giving it." Martha looked at her son.

"She's your best friend Clark. She could be…"

"She's not my best friend. And I would know if she was… dead." Martha felt like rolling her eyes. Clark was so stubborn sometimes. She was amazed she even put up with this.

"What do you mean she's not your best friend Clark? You've known her since she was thirteen! She was your first kiss, your first love," Clark looked at her, "it was not Lana and don't even pretend it was. She is out there, in the big wide world all by herself. And I know, somewhere deep down inside she's still that young intrepid reporter." Martha felt tears welling up.

"Mom…"

"Don't you mom me mister! I am sick and tired of this. If this was Lois, the one who had risked her life to save you, you would be out there, searching the planet with everything you've got. Chloe is just as special, possibly more, because I know she gets you like no one else. She knows what's good for you, what can kill you and what can make you the happiest man alive and she gave it to you, no matter what the consequences. Do you know how much unrequited love hurts Clark? She went through years of that." Clark was taken aback. Where had all this come from? "And don't give me the 'I'm doing what's best for her' thing. You're just annoyed that she now trusts Oliver Queen more than you, that she loves him more than you. You left her Clark, when her HUSBAND DIED!

"You never even thought about her when going off, and then you come back, but not for her, for Lois. Chloe kept the pretence of you being here. She looked after the farm, fed Shelby. I can't believe you wouldn't call her your best friend." Clark finally found his voice.

"People change mom, and so do relationships." Martha groaned.

"Right, that's why you've been listening for her heartbeat," Martha gave him a look, "and I know it's not for Ollie's sake."

"Fine, what do you want to hear? That I love her? More than I will ever know and that if she dies I don't know how I'll survive? Because I do, and I know that Oliver would do something stupid if I didn't get there first. I'm only doing what she wants mom! I'm only staying away, even though it kills me when she cries herself to sleep, and when she whispers Oliver's name in her sleep I want to kill him. I'm SORRY!" Martha looked at her son, who now had tears streaking down his face.

"Oh sweetie…" She pulled him into a hug, and although seeing her son like this made her upset, she was still just as glad that he had finally seen the light.

Chloe Sullivan and Clark Kent were meant to be friends forever.

Well, that was miserable…

I really quite disliked writing that, because I know that it will never happen on the show. Clark's just too much of an idiot to admit that Chloe means a lot more to him than he's letting on. And I despise the writers of Smallville for making it that way.

Does no one except Oliver miss her? I wish they'd make it obvious if they did, cos Clark seems to have completely forgotten about her.

OK, rant over. I just had one of those moments… ;-)