Thanks to whatweareafraidof and EricDelko's3Lil'Angels for your reviews, and to everyone who put this story on alert or favorite it. You sort of blew me away!
Do you wake up on your own and wonder where you are
And live with all your faults?
-Goo Goo Dolls; Slide
. . .
When the door slammed shut, Chloe jumped, spilling her cup of coffee on the counter top. Jimmy was home late, which meant that he'd gotten an early start. She caught her boyfriend's boiling glare as she turned to grab a cloth to wipe up the mess, and found herself caught in his watery eyes.
You need help, she thought silently.
"Hi Jimmy," She said softly, nervously, hoping that this would be one of those nights where he would just go to bed, deeming her unworthy of 'it'.
The cold look in his eyes turned on her. There wasn't a trace of love in there that she could find anymore. But there was always this hatred, and bubbling jealousy.
"Don't think that I didn't see you with Clark." He threw Clark's name into the conversation like a swear word. "Laughing with him-making a complete joke of me!"
"Jimmy!" Chloe rushed to tray and convince him of the truth; her laughter had nothing to do with him. "Jimmy, I would never do that!"
In her hands, the cup of coffee shook as he nerves got the better of her. The reality was that he scared her. She was terrified of him, and couldn't do anything about it. He stepped towards her, that same old ugly glint in his eyes.
"Bringing you coffee and I know that you left with him for over an hour." Jimmy stunk of alcohol and cigars, and she couldn't even imagine what else.
"We just got lunch, Jimmy. Clark wanted to thank me for taking care of Shelby."
I'd run if I could, she thought, but there's really no escape is there? How long are we going to be caught in this ugly cycle? Would it have ended earlier if she could bruise, if her body showed the marks? Was this her curse, how her meteor power was going to damn her. Constant abuse, day after day with no hope of escape?
"Jimmy!" Chloe cried out as he shoved her against the counter top and her cup fell from her hands and shattered to the floor.
He grabbed her by the wrist, twisting it and she screamed in pain when she heard the crack.
"Stop yelling!" Jimmy screamed at her. "What is wrong with you?"
Chloe felt the tears running down her face from the pain, and they didn't stop flowing when his fists connected with her face.
Everything, she thought, everything is wrong with me.
. . .
Oliver had it covered.
"Get some sleep Clark," Oliver told him, "Catch up on a deadline, feed your dog…there's nothing exciting happening in Metropolis tonight."
So here he stood outside the Talon. It was too late for a visit, and if Jimmy really did have some jealousy complex…a late night visit would only exacerbate the situation. He knew how Chloe hated for him to use his powers to pry, but only for a second, he told himself, just to see if she was home alone.
When the only sound that he could hear was the all too familiar one of his best friend sobbing, he decided to hell with it. He super sped up the stairs after breaking the Talon lock and pushed open the unlocked door, nearly unbelieving what he was seeing. Jimmy was standing over Chloe, who sat crumpled on the ground with a bleeding gash on her face and nursing her right arm; and his hand was outstretched as if he was going to hit her. Again.
"Chloe!" Clark rushed to her, ignoring the look on Jimmy's face as his anger boiled for what had been done to her. "You."
Clark turned on Jimmy; feeling like the murderous human instinct had been turned on.
"Of course you would be here." Jimmy slung out the words, "You're always around! Just go away, won't you! This isn't anything to do with you."
"You made this about me the second you laid a hand on her." Clark took a step towards Jimmy prepared to do whatever it took to make sure he didn't ever hurt Chloe again.
"Clark! Clark, no!" Chloe stumbled to her feet, "Don't…"
Clark watched her words trail off, whatever argument she had gone, as her eyes glazed over and she started to fall. He rushed to her, catching her in his arms before she could hit the ground. He wanted to rush her to a doctor, but he knew that he couldn't do that. Not as long as she was infected by the meteors.
She was so light in his arms, lighter than he remembered even. Clark turned his furious glare on Jimmy.
"You're never going to touch her again."
. . .
Chloe woke up to the sun shining through the windows in Clark's bedroom. All the time that she'd known him it had hardly changed. She pressed a hand to her forehead as the previous night rushed back to her. The fight, Jimmy, Clark…
She didn't even know how to look him in the eye.
The bedroom door was cracked open, and she became aware of Clark's voice, muffled and quiet and his feet pacing across the hardwood as he spoke.
"…thanks Oliver. No, no I'm not. Last time it was hours. I have to get back to her-I don't want her to wake up alone."
Chloe heard the click of the phone, and was hardly able to try and work out what was being said when she rolled back into the blankets to feign sleep. Clark's words to Oliver left her wondering, but not so much that she could bear to face him after the way he'd seen her. She'd spent years of her life giving Clark her best, and now he'd seen her at her very worst.
Clark sighed, and Chloe listened careful to keep her breathing even as he sat in the chair next to the bed.
"Please be okay, Chloe," Clark's hand brushed against her cheek, rustling against her hair.
She nearly forgot to breathe at the feel of his soft hands on her skin.
"I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for you. I should have trusted my instincts when I thought that something was wrong." There was an edge in his voice, and pain.
She knew that Clark would try and blame himself. Yet another reason why she was going to just cope. It wasn't an option anymore though.
"Maybe if I told you the truth you would have trusted me." Clark's hand closed over hers. "I should have told you so long ago how I feel about you. I should have said something."
Clark expelled a breath, gently squeezing her hand.
"I love you," He whispered, "And if you don't wake up, I'm never going to forgive myself."
Chloe took a second as Clark's words passed through her mind. She squeezed his hand, unable to take the charade of being asleep any further when he sounded so upset, so heartbroken.
"Chloe!" Clark let out what sounded like a breath of relief as he closed his arms around her in a gentle hug. "I've been so worried about you."
"How long was I out for?"
"Eighteen hours." Clark said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "How do you feel?"
Chloe sat up, and gave him her best smile. "Good as new. I'm sorry I scared you, Clark."
"Don't even think about getting out of that bed." Clark told her, the concerned look flickering in his green eyes. "Stay put. I'll get you some breakfast."
"Clark, I'm fine." Chloe gestured to her face, "Not a mark on me."
She showed him her wrist, "I'm completely healed."
"I'm not so sure about that." Clark mumbled under his breath.
"And I really need to use the bathroom." Chloe gestured, "So, uh-"
Clark let go of her hand and sighed, "Right. I'll just…be in the kitchen. Getting breakfast."
Chloe nodded her head, sliding out of bed and glancing to him with a look of, I told you I was fine. Clark still looked worried, but he let her do what she asked.
"I'm just going to take a shower, too." Chloe hadn't seen her reflection, but she was sure it wasn't pretty.
"Take your time," Clark told her, "I'll be here if you need me. Just call me, and I'll hear you."
Clark's words seemed weighted down was a silent apology. And this time I'll hear. She didn't know how to tell him that none of this was his fault.
. . .
Clark was putting breakfast together when he remembered Oliver. His friend had been worried about Chloe too. It was thanks to Oliver that Jimmy was sitting in a hospital detox right now. Oliver hadn't said much about it, but he knew that he'd done more than pick up Jimmy and drop him off.
Oliver felt almost as guilty as he did for not knowing. Like Clark, he logged hours and hours with Chloe, and never even considered that something was off.
"She's taking a shower." He told Oliver.
"How does she seem?"
"Like Chloe." Clark replied, "But quiet. I know she doesn't want to talk about it. I don't want to pressure her into talking to me."
"Of course not." Oliver sighed, "I should have killed him. That kid should be kissing my ass for placing him in the protective custody of those doctors."
"Did he tell you…anything?" Clark asked.
"Nothing of consequence. He's been drinking and doing drugs, Clark. He's clueless." Oliver told him, "Strangely though, he's sort of talkative with my shoe planted across his neck. He thought that Chloe was engaged in some sort of illicit affair with you-I got the impression that this wasn't a onetime thing."
Clark had a similar feeling. It would have explained Chloe's behavior over the last few months, but it killed him. Chloe had been suffering for months, and he hadn't done anything.
"I'm going to be in town for awhile." Oliver told him, "Don't worry about patrolling. Bart's crashing here with Victor-it will give them something to do to earn their keep."
"Thanks, again, Oliver." Clark turned to the stove to keep an eye on the breakfast. "I owe you."
"No, you don't. You and Chloe are family to me. I'm just glad I could do…something."
When Clark hung up the phone, he noticed that Shelby wasn't hanging around looking for a treat like she usually was when food was cooking. Did she already realize that her favorite blonde was up and about? Knowing her, she was sitting in front of the bathroom door pawing and waiting for Chloe to give her attention.
. . .