Chapter 3: Problems at Work

Kara showed up for her mid-morning shift at the Talon slightly late. She did this every day deliberately. She wanted her co-workers to think that she had the same troubles as they did. She would slow herself down, and run in, a flurry of blonde hair and denim-clad legs. Pinning her nametag on her apron, she would make some excuse for her tardiness. "I couldn't find my bracelet." "My alarm clock didn't go off." "Blame my cousin, he forgot to take the trash out, and I had to chase the garbage man down in my underwear." She gave any reason but the truth -- besides the reasons were more believable than the truth. Saying what really happened to delay her arrival was sort of silly. "Well, you see, this morning I pulverized my alarm clock into a heap of dust and encountered my uncle's Martian mercenary, who has unresolved issues with me." That wasn't going to fly, even though she could.

At the counter, Ethan stood. He was the regular closer. He helped himself to a cup from the Italian cappuccino machine, and then he spoke with their manager Monica, "The Slave Driver". Kara went to the back room, and grabbed a new drawer from the safe and slammed it into the front register. She inputted her cashier's code and started the routine, but the manager came to her and pulled her aside.

"Kara" Monica said. "Umm… Were you here last night?"

Confused, Kara looked up at her superior, and then to her coworker. Ethan looked like 'death warmed over'. Granted, Ethan usually looked 'alternative'. He filled the Talon's quota for a Bohemian barista. He had let his white 'fro get a little too long as he was trying to decide on dreads. He always looked somewhat carefree, but, right now, he looked like he had just awakened and was rather nervous.

Two police officers came out of the stock room. Something was up.

"What's wrong?" Kara took the time to observe the café. Everything looked okay to her.

Monica sighed as she reviewed her employee, placing an arm over her shoulder -- directing her away from Ethan, as he spoke with the policemen. "There's a girl missing. Sasha Woodman. Do you know her?"

"No." Kara was concerned now. "I've never heard of her."

"Well, apparently, Sasha left her car in the parking lot we share with the Bounty County Livestock Feed building," Monica whispered. "Cops think she was abducted there. They found a broken, three-inch heel, and its scuff marks, in the new asphalt, near her abandoned car."

Monica shook her dark, gray-flecked hair, and played with her French manicure. "Sasha was last seen here in the Talon. So… whatever happened outside… might have started here first."

"Did they check with Chloe or Lois?" Kara asked, glancing at the ceiling to the apartment. "They might have seen something."

Monica frowned… "Yeah, they got their numbers. They're at work right now." Kara exhaled her disappointment. She was hoping Lois would be here so she could share her secret over muffins and tea. "I guess Chloe called Sasha's parents asking about her. That's how the cops got tipped off in the first place. Chloe told them she ran into Sasha here. Kara, they want to look around, so we'll be closed for a few hours. Sorry about that, I know you need the hours to get that car you keep talking about."

"No, it's okay. I could use the day anyway." Kara conceded.

Deputy Hansen, and Walters, approached Kara with a photo of a petite woman with dark, shoulder-length hair, and glasses with oval lenses. Kara took the photo and memorized the woman's face. She was sort-of nondescript, even if her make-up made her look a little too pink.

"So, um… This is Sasha Woodman?"

"Yes… Miss?" The officer asked; his pen ready.

"Kara Kent." She looked into the Officer Walters's brown eyes, observing that he suffered from uni-brow syndrome. "I don't recall seeing her. If I see her around… I'll let you know."

Chloe Sullivan's caffeine buzz had died a few hours before and she'd been up almost all night trying to find Dr. Curtis Knox.

I was so stupid to let Sasha walk away from me outside the Talon. I should have asked her how to get into contact with Dr. Knox, right then and there. I'm a reporter, and I forgot to ask a basic question.

Things were getting more complex by the minute. Chloe entered the Daily Planet, and found herself faced with a request to schedule an appointment with the Lowell County Sheriff's Office. The request was fielded through her assignment editor to write a story about Sasha Woodman -- currently missing. The good thing was, her day was her own -- so long as she filed a 250 word blurb. The bad thing was, her editor expected her to leave at any moment to return to Smallville to interview Sasha's parents -- and talk to her contacts in the Sheriff's Office. Chloe stalled to take care of a few things for Lois, and because she needed the Daily Planet's server and account to access the Journal of Medicine database to find Dr. Knox.

Chloe needed a cure for her meteor-infection. She hated how much time she spent worrying. Everyday it was harder and harder to keep her emotions in check, and her judgment clear. Only once did she ever try to talk to Clark about her fears, but then he got too emotional for her to handle. Unable to juggle double the emotional load, she stopped trying.

Her cell phone jingled to the theme from E.T, notifying her of Clark's text. Picking it up, she read the display. It was one word. Crystal?

Great. Clark wants to look for Kara's crystal.

Again!

She had to get the hell out of there, because Clark would be breezing in at any moment.

The computer chimed a return, and Chloe glanced down at the display. Good news. She sat up -- and put her hand to her mouth in a sort-of astonished expression. Dr. Knox's webpage was right in front of her. She pulled out her cell and scheduled an appointment for that same morning. Hanging up, she read the words there, memorizing them -- not noticing her boyfriend Jimmy Olsen bouncing into the room.

"Is my girl ready to rock?" Jimmy clapped his hands together. He knew he scored huge with the tickets. The band was fresh, young, and growing in popularity. They played an awesome cover of "Perfect Memory", Chloe's favorite song. He'd decided to spend all of his savings on Chloe, splurging her with dinner too. "I was thinking that we could either hit Chang's on the way to the show tonight, or we can chow down chili dogs at the arena."

Oh God… The concert. Chloe remembered. She had shooed Jimmy away last night, telling him that she had a headache. She promised him she'd make it up in other ways tonight. No wonder he was so pleased. Chloe decided she needed to put the brakes on their date. Too much was going on. First, her appointment, then the Woodman story. After everything is settled, then maybe she could call Jimmy.

"Jimmy, I know you spent a small fortune on these tickets tonight, but…" Chloe stopped talking as Jimmy's face froze. He leaned on her desk, not quite believing her. Chloe always burned him like this. He'd make plans with her -- even plans just to talk on the phone, and she would forget. Once he asked Clark if he ever had trouble pinning Chloe down, although, he knew he didn't.

As he waited outside the building for Chloe, Clark could hear Jimmy's reply. He squinted to activate the x-ray part of his super-vision, and watched Chloe cancel her date with Jimmy so she could help him. Jimmy wasn't good enough for her anyway, but he couldn't figure out how to tell her that. She really seemed to like him.

Clark watched Jimmy say, "Oh. Why is the word 'but' never followed by something good?" He looked away from Chloe as he talked.

Stay on target. Clark thought. Jimmy was pulling out all the stops, yet Chloe managed to stay on track.

"Would I be the worst girlfriend in the world if I asked for a rain check on our night out on the town tonight?"

Jimmy sighed.

A little smirk curled on Clark's face. He switched back his vision to normal mode, and feigned interest in the trash bin next to the Daily Planet building -- still listening for an entrance point.

Jimmy hated how Chloe always did this to him. I just want one night with her; free of the stresses of meteor-freaks and Smallville chaos. He needed time with Chloe, but, clearly, Chloe wasn't interested in him. He had seen Chloe jump to help Clark. Clark has the life, with two women that will bend over to help him at a drop of a hat. Just once, he'd like Chloe to make him happy and comfortable in their relationship.

Jimmy could barely listen to Chloe talk.

"I know. I-I'll make it up to you. It's just... I'm chasing down a hot lead on the meteor challenged." Chloe pushed her chair away and moved around the desk. Jimmy was losing focus.

Maybe if I touch him, this will all hurt him less. Isn't that my gift?

Her story was true, after all. Sasha was once meteor-infected, and Chloe was chasing down her story. It just wasn't for the Planet. It was for herself. She toyed again with the idea of telling Jimmy about her illness, but saw how his eyes avoided hers.

Clark didn't hear Jimmy speak for a moment. Jimmy's not stupid. He knows he's in a rather one-sided relationship.

"This can't wait till tomorrow? Look, please don't take this personally. I thought I could deal with this, but everything is about meteor freaks lately." Jimmy said.

Clark gritted his teeth and started to enter the building. Jimmy doesn't know he's hurting Chloe's feelings. So he must be referring to me. Everyone thinks I'm a meteor freak at first.

Jimmy watched Chloe tense up. Correcting him, she voiced, "I thought we agreed we weren't gonna use that word anymore."

Damn. You're always defending Clark, Jimmy wanted to say, but mentioning Clark was a sure fire way to piss her off, so he said, "Well, that's what they are, and if those freaks were locked up in Belle Rêve, then maybe I'd get to see you once in a while."

Jimmy left Chloe's desk in a huff.

She knew that Jimmy wasn't going to forgive her easily. That expression on his face killed her. He had such a handsome yet goofy mug, she hated seeing him so sad. She couldn't do this to him all the time anymore. This time, she wasn't going to let his sacrifice count for nothing… She was going to do her best to remember him. She was going to make a real effort.

Chloe's next problem blew in on a cloud of demands. Clark Kent. She loved him to death, but at times, he required so much attention and reassurance. Yes, Clark had saved her life quite a few times, but now, she had to save her own life, and she didn't need to be distracted by the handsome alien.

"Chloe, can Dr. Curtis Knox take a backseat? I need your help." Clark started. He typed on her keyboard, something that usually caused her to sit right down and take over.

Good Grief! Chloe rolled her eyes. How did he not realize how demanding he was at times? She just put Jimmy on hold so she could get her stuff, her agenda done.

"You're gonna have to hang a bell around your neck so I can at least hear when you're coming." She said this in her own snarky style, although it was very firm.

Clark still didn't understand how serious she was. He walked around to the other side of the desk, so Chloe couldn't miss seeing his face. "I need you to help me find Kara's missing crystal. I need you to check the databases, satellite imagery…"

"Clark, you're gonna have to fly solo on this one, 'cause my dance card's completely full."

"Chloe, this is important." Clark glanced up at Chloe. She was looking down on him, not responding to his plea. Instead, she got firmer yet and said the words she had almost cut as she looked up into his distressed face.

"I'm sure that it is. Look, I know that from Mount Olympus, the view must seem like us mere mortals have nothing better to do than help you look for your crystal, but believe it or not, I have important things to do, too."

"Uh oh…" Clark thought. Something is really wrong. He realized that Chloe was actually annoyed with him. She shut down her computer and logged off the mainframe. Chloe's told him no before and been much nicer about it. Didn't she just blow Jimmy off for him? What was going on?

She walked around Clark like he was frozen in her correction. She didn't even say good-bye to him… Clark just muttered. "Chloe?"

Clark's throat contracted, causing his Adam's apple to bob. Did she blame him? Maybe she really rather not be so involved with him… She didn't talk to him anymore -- like she used to.

To Be Continued