Clark pounds harder on the penthouse door while shouting "Oliver, I know you're in there. Open up. I need your help." Still no answer. A light bulb goes on above Clark's head as a new tactic dawns on him. "Oliver It's something Chloe was working on. Someone she was trying to help." Clark tries.
This gets a response. Clark listens as he hears Oliver fall off the sofa, trip on what sounds like bottles, and eventually make his way to the door. The bolts are drawn back and the door swings open. Oliver is making his way back to the sofa he has clearly been living on since Chloe's death.
Clark flashes on the last time he had seen Oliver. It was at the cemetery when they buried Chloe's clothes. Clark remembers Oliver staring at the coffin so hard he thought Oliver was developing x-ray vision. Oliver never said a word the whole ceremony.
Clark remembers talking with the rest of the team, each consoling the others. He remembers then turning to the grave marking his lost friend. The simple piece of stone doesn't say anywhere enough about who she was but he supposes it's not bad. It's simple "She helped" fits what Chloe would want. Wrapping his arm around a crying Lois, he guided her to Chloe's old car leaving Oliver alone with his pain.
Since Chloe's death Lois has claimed the car and is fiercely holding on to it. Clark understands how important it is to Lois to hold onto a piece of her cousin, so he doesn't complain about having to fold nearly in half to fit inside the worn old bug. Clark's last memory of that day is of Oliver on his knees before Chloe's gravestone. Clark's super hearing told him Oliver was saying something to Chloe, but Clark didn't listen in. It wouldn't have been right.
"What do you need?" Oliver asks breaking Clark's trip down memory lane.
"Unknown to me, Chloe had been spending time in the Fortress with Jor-El. She was trying to locate more Kryptonians. While she didn't find any, she did find a young woman who is a hybrid. Apparently Jor-El created her to help me. The woman is very confused and lost. Her old life is gone, so Chloe was helping her to start a new one. Unfortunately, Chloe didn't get the chance to finish. I need your resources to finish. Will you help?" Clark explains.
"For her of course. Show me what you've got." Oliver replies as he motions for Clark to sit across from him.
Pulling out the folder Chloe did create before her death, Clark shows Oliver the identity Chloe created with the name Cho-El had chosen. Clark has to admire Chloe's planning. She must have figured on not coming back to have put this all together before she went to the Fortress. All that was needed is to plug in the name Cho-El had selected and have Oliver put in all in motion. Clark is relieved to see the bottle scattered about are empty soda bottles and not liquor as they all feared. The smell from the stacked pizza boxes and Oliver is a bit rough on his super senses but Clark grins and bares it. Perhaps this will give Oliver the motivation he needs to leave the penthouse.
A few weeks later at the Daily Planet
"So who's your new friend, Smallville?" Lois asks with more jealousy than she can hide in her tone.
"Hmm?" Clark tries acting stupid. "I thought that was Lois behind me. I need to be more careful. I can't risk her learning my secret." he thinks. He thanks his lucky stars ever day that Lois' grief made her forgot about following up on what she witnessed on the roof. "Chloe managed to help protect my identity one last time." he thinks with a sad ½ smile.
"The hot brunette I saw you eating lunch with the other day. Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. I wondered where you kept sneaking off to these past few weeks." she snips. "Keep it together Lois. He is so not worth it." She reminds herself while part of her argues "He so is."
"It's not like that. She is just an old friend, new in town." Clark explains while secretly glad Lois didn't notice the resemblance to Chloe.
"With a rack like that I bet she has lots of 'Friends'" is Lois' catty reply. "Smooth Lois. Why don't you just offer to wrestle the girl in Jell-O for him." she chides herself.
Clark can't help but grin at these brief moments Lois shows her interest in him. He doesn't let her off easy though "Jealous?"
"Dream on, Smallville. Just trying to avoid having to listen to you cry at your desk" she quips back but her smile takes the edge out of her voice.
"Just tell her." he urges himself but once again he doesn't. The moment passes and he changes the subject back to work.
Still trying to settle into her apartment, Kara Star rearranges her furniture again. She can't seem to find a layout that appeals to both her human memories and her Kryptonian ones. The two women she is based on had very different tastes and styles. Thankfully a siren lets her drop her crisis for the moment and rush to address a real one.
She arrives to find Clark already rescuing the people trapped in the burning building so she focuses on putting out the fire. Floating next to the fire and focusing her cold breath carefully, she slowly freezes the fire itself. She is carefully not to drop the temperature too quickly in any one area. She sweeps her breath back and forth until the fire is out. By then Clark has rescued the last victim. He looks up to her briefly and then zips off. She can't blame him for keeping his distance. It was nice enough of him to arrange the identity and apartment with his friend Oliver's help. While she appreciates Oliver's help, she isn't ready to face him. Chloe's strong feelings for him are too fresh and confusing. It is frustrating to be constantly be bombarded by feelings not her own but she is adapting. Slowly she is integrating the memories and defining who she is.
"Hey Lois did you hear? The Blur got himself a girlfriend." taunts Cathy from the gossip pages.
"Please The Blur has too much class to fall for a bimbo like her." Lois snaps back. "Great, first Clark and now The Blur. Why do all the men in my life not want me?" Lois wonders.
"I don't think she's a bimbo." Clark pipes up with earning him a scorn filled look from Lois.
"You'd say that. What's it with you men and a set of boobs?" she snarks.
Clark has to admit Cho-El's costume choice is a bit on racy side but she's not showing that much skin. Besides it helps distance her from Chloe as anyone who knew Chloe knows she would never be caught dead in an outfit like that. The pain that accompanies the memory of his friend isn't as bad now. It's easier to remember just the good times. The regrets are still with him but he will carry those to his grave. "Really Lois you should give her a chance whoever she is." Clark adds.
Making a noise and muttering something too inappropriate to repeat Lois storms off.
Deciding Lois could use a boost, Clark sneaks off to the roof to give her a call. Her phone rings and rings but she doesn't answer. Not willing to play her games, Clark simply hangs up.
Lois feels her phone buzz in her pocket. Looking quickly at the number she angrily shoves it back in. She is through with super heroes. She should've learned her lesson with Ollie. "Still, it might be important." she thinks as she digs the phone back out. By the time she does it has stopped ringing, and as usual he didn't leave a message. Disheartened she heads back to her desk to try and lose herself in her work. Absentmindedly answering her desk phone, she perks up. One of her contacts has something for her. Grabbing her purse she rushes off to meet them. On her way out she looks for Clark but doesn't see him. "Probably rushing off to see his "Friend" she mentally grumbles.