Explosion at Monument Police Station Kills Eight

Chloe blinked, feeling stunned. She'd thought the brothers were in trouble, but she'd never imagined it would be this bad. Swallowing her fear, she clicked for the full story, praying for some proof the Winchesters weren't among the victims.

…Authorities are uncertain of the cause, but some believe a gas leak may be the reason for the deadly explosion.

…Only hours after Agent Hendrickson and his team reportedly captured two deadly criminals in the area, Dean and Samuel Winchester.

…No survivors.

"No…"

Chloe resisted the urge to sigh as she stepped out of her car. She knew Clark had heard her pull up and she had a feeling he was listening to her approach. She wanted to find Brainiac just as much as Clark did, but after learning about the Winchesters' fate, she was struggling to keep her head in the game.She'd spent two days leaving messages on both Dean's phone and Sam's phone, hoping they'd somehow escaped the blast, but there had been no response. Their answering machine's hadn't even changed, which they usually did regularly, she guessed as a way to keep people off their trail if their numbers got out.

Who knew their death would effect me this much? She mused, attempting to lighten her mood before reaching Clark. If he was paying enough attention, she knew he'd be able read the emotions on her face. She'd never been very good at hiding her feelings in front of Clark.

"Chloe?"

"Who'd you think it was?" Chloe teased as she ascended the stairs to Clark's loft.

Clark paused, giving her a small smile. "You."

"Good guess."

"So, did you find anything?"

Chloe shook her head, wishing she had better news. Someone deserved to hear good news today. "Sorry, Clark. I haven't been able to find anything."

"Kara thinks we should look for energy spikes. She thinks Brainiac might be using energy sources to reboot."

Chloe nodded. "That makes sense. Maybe I can talk to the Department of Water and Power. I probably have a source there I can hit-up. Or at the very least I can just sweet talk my way in."

"When?"

Chloe shrugged. "Tomorrow? Anyone I could call would be shut down at this point, but I'll call them first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good. I need to find him. He's not after me anymore. He's now after Kara. I can't let him hurt her."

Chloe nodded, looking down at her hands. "She'll be fine." She swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat. It was her fault the brothers had been in Monument. She held some blame for their death.

"Chloe?" Clark asked, stepping towards her. "Are you okay?"

Chloe looked up, giving him a small smile. "Fine, Clark."

Clark studied her, looking skeptical. "You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah, I know. But I'm fine. Really."

"Good news, Chlo'," Jimmy announced as he walked inside their apartment. He was smiling like he'd just won a Pulitzer, but Chloe doubted it was that exciting. He tended to get happy just earning an assignment lately. With Lex in charge, stories had been few and far between.

"You and Lois got a story that Lex is actually going to let you publish?" she guessed, ignoring the small bit of jealousy that welled up at the mention of her boyfriend and her cousin working together. She really couldn't blame them. Jimmy needed to work and she was never around for him to team up with. If he couldn't team up with one cousin why not go for the other one? "Yeah right. That's never going to happen."

"Never say never," Chloe mused. "So what's the good news?"

"Well, since I am currently story-less I thought we could do something together. Maybe head into Metropolis, see what's up." Jimmy smiled hopefully.

Chloe smiled back. Normally she would have jumped at the chance to just be with Jimmy, especially since she didn't have any other obligations. So far, Ollie hadn't called for any help and, besides still tracking down Brainiac and Kara, Clark didn't need her either.

But now, the idea of heading out for a night of Olsen-approved fun, just didn't sound exciting.

"I can't."

Jimmy blinked, looking confused. "Can't? Did Clark call?"

Chloe shook her head. "No. This has nothing to do with Clark. I just can't." She paused, fingering the charm in her pocket. "Can we stay in tonight?"

Jimmy studied her, much like Clark had done. "Is everything okay, Chloe?"

"Yeah," Chloe said, quickly. "I'm just tired. Let's just sit and watch some of those old Noir movies you love so much."

Jimmy nodded, although he still looked like was trying to read her thoughts. "Okay, let me go put my stuff down."

Chloe continued to finger the charm, until Jimmy returned, holding a movie in one hand and blanket in the other. "Ready?"

Chloe couldn't help but smile at his goofy grin. His plans may not have worked, but it was obvious he still enjoyed being with her. It was a good feeling. "Yep."

Jimmy put the movie in and returned to the couch, settling in before pulling her over so she could lean against him. He laid the blanket over her, pulling her close as the film started. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked into her hair as she settled herself. He wrapped an arm around her, his hand moving to hold hers.

"Yeah, Jimmy, I'm— "

"What's this?" he asked, cutting her off. He pulled out his hand, showing her the small charm she'd had in her hand moments before. It must have fallen as she'd grabbed his hand.

"It's a charm."

Jimmy smirked. "I can see that Chlo'. Where did you get it?"

"A friend. It's for protection." She reached over and took the small charm back, slipping it into her pocket. She needed to remember to get a bracelet for it soon.

"Protection? From what?"

Chloe smiled softly, knowing she might as well tell the truth. He was never going to believe it anyway. "Demons."

"O-kay."

"You can never be too careful," Chloe said by way of explaining. She pulled the blanket over her shoulder and leaned back into Jimmy. "They were just looking out for me."

Chloe leaned against Clark's desk, trying to keep herself calm. After the eventful night before, with Lionel's death and the attack on Lana, she needed to be extra careful she stayed calm for Clark.

She felt like her world was crumbling in, but she knew Clark needed her. He wouldn't understand her falling apart, especially since he knew nothing about the Winchesters. He had no idea that it had been almost a week since she'd last talked to Dean or that, just yesterday, she'd finally stopped expecting him to call her back, because people can't call when they're dead.

"Clark…"

"Jor-el died getting me on that ship. My dad died of a heart attack from the powers he took on protecting me. Now Lionel's been murdered for protecting my secret."

Chloe stepped forward, as Clark spoke, closing the distance between them. What was she supposed to say? She'd run out of ways to tell him things weren't his fault. He no longer believed it.

She knew that he knew deep down it wasn't his fault. He may have been involved in a way with the deaths of those three men, but realistically their deaths could not be blamed on him. But after realizing another person had died for him, his guilt was making him blind to the truth.

And she couldn't help but relate to him on some level. Wasn't it her fault the Winchesters had been in Monument, Colorado? She was the one who'd told them where to find Bela. If she had stayed out of it maybe they'd still be alive.

She shook her head forcing herself to focus. Clark needed her. It wasn't time for a pity-party. "They did die for you, Clark, but ultimately they died for all of us. There was a reason those men were in your life. Each of them added something to the man that you are today."

Clark still wouldn't face her. "How could Lex have done it? How does a son murder his own father?"

"Total absence of love. Some say that's the definition of evil. You have to get those keys away from Lex, Clark, before he kills anyone else."

"He's not going to have the chance." Clark finally turned to face her. "I won't let him."

Chloe nodded, feeling relieved. Unconsciously, she continued to finger the charm in her pocket.

Chloe tossed her bag on the kitchen counter and locked the door behind her as she walked inside. She wished she could lock out her thoughts just as easily. Her mind had been a mess for a few days and now with Lionel's death, her new jobless status and Lana's condition, she felt ready to break.

So she did.

She barely made it too her side of the apartment before the tears fell. And she didn't bother stopping them.

She needed this. Later, she'd collect herself and deal with things rationally. But now, she needed to let everything out.

"I'm sorry," she whispered— unsure of who she was saying it to— as she held her charm.

"I'm sorry..."

To Be Continued…