Disclaimer: I do not own Smallville or any characters from Smallville.

A short, completely biased introspective character piece on Clark Kent; set in season nine.

It's not that Clark didn't appreciate Chloe; he had always leaned on her, probably more than was fair. Without his trusty sidekick to give him a well-meaning kick in the pants every now and then, Clark isn't sure where he might have ended up – quite possibly back on the farm, maybe married to Lana, perhaps even with a real family.

And yes, Clark did wish for all those things that made a normal life, once upon a time, but now he sees his destiny.

It was Chloe who made him see his destiny. When everything went wrong and it all came crashing down on him, Clark could always count on Chloe to pick him up. She reminded him of what was truly important. And when things were going right, she was his best friend.

She is still his best friend.

He hates it that they have drifted apart recently, but he had only been doing what had to be done. She was the one who always told him that it was up to him – "it's your destiny, Clark." How many times had she said those words to him, and if not precisely those words, then something pretty darn close?

Clark loved Chloe – loves Chloe. But it is only now that he can see how much he owes her.

When she had run off with Davis, he had blamed her, and had refused to believe that she was only doing what she thought had to be done. It is a hard pill to swallow now . . . now that he knows that that was exactly why she had gone. She had given up everything; for him. Always, she had sacrificed for him. Jimmy; her job at The Planet, by way of Lex Luthor; any chance at a normal life, now that she is knee-deep in super heroes and aliens and the end of the world. And she had never complained; not really . . . even when she had every right to.

And now there was something that she wanted, that would make her happy like Lois made him happy, and he would give it to her. Partly because he owed her and he knew that, but, more than that, because he wanted it for her; Clark wanted Chloe to be happy almost more than anything.

So when he sees her with Oliver, instead of getting mad that it's taking time away from saving the world – taking time away from him – he smiles. He smiles and he tells her, when they are alone together and the subject comes up, that he is happy for her.

The smile he gets in return is more than worth his small sacrifice.

And really, it is his turn to sacrifice something for her.

Clark's job is saving the world, and Chloe's is to help him. But who says they can't live, too? Who says saving the world is all they are good for?

Clark has saved Chloe more times than anyone can count, but what no one, not even the two of them, realized, was that the whole time she had been saving him, too.

Now, watching her with Oliver, Clark gets it. He finally understands exactly what she gave up to be by his side all these years.

And he's OK with giving her up, just a little bit. She can still help him save the world, but now Clark sees that it is finally time for both of them to take some time and enjoy living.

Clark swears to himself now that he will never take his friends for granted again. Because it almost cost him his best friend before, and that is not something – someone – he is willing to lose.

The End