- Part 7 -
Clark came to a halt as he rushed into the main room of the Smallville Savings and Loans.
His gaze immediately locked onto Chloe, who was slumped over in her chair.
* No! * Clark's heart beat wildly in his chest as he ran to her side.
It only took him a second to snap the hard plastic holding her wrists, and then he struggled frantically with Cade's belt as he tried to free her.
As soon as the belt was loosened Clark fell to his knees before Chloe, his eyes desperately searching hers, and scanning her body as he tried to find out whether she was alright.
His hands gripped her shoulders and shook her slightly as he called out to her in a pained and terrified voice.
"Chloe…Chloe, please…please speak to me, Chloe are you alright? Chloe!!!!"
Chloe vaguely heard someone speaking to her, but her gaze and mind were fixed on the corpse of Mr. Watts and the knowledge that she had caused his death.
It was her fault that he was dead. If she hadn't been so cocky with Cade, if she had just kept her mouth shut none of this would have happened. Cade wouldn't….
Clark ran his hands over his friend. * No blood…I can't find any blood… *; she seemed alright, she hadn't been shot.
* Thank God…I don't know what I would have done if she… * Clark shoved that thought aside. He didn't want to think about that; he couldn't.
She was alive; that was all that mattered.
When the silence stretched on Clark realized that something wasn't right. Chloe hadn't spoken a word since he had found her.
It was then that Clark noticed that she was starring at something behind him and he turned to see what it was.
Mr. Watts' lifeless body, lying in a pool of his own blood was what met Clark eyes.
Clark inhaled sharply.
* Mr. Watts…no… *
As if in daze, Clark slowly moved over to the body of the grocer and carefully placed his fingers on the man's wrist, but there was no pulse.
Clark sighed and ran a hand over his face. * I should have been here. I could have saved him. I… *
The sound of movement from behind him brought Clark back to reality.
Seeing Clark at Mr. Watts body had managed to snap Chloe out of her shock and she was struggling to get the belt the rest of the way off of her body.
Chloe was almost panicking in her desperation to get it off of her.
Clark was at her side in an instant and covered her hands with his. They were shaking fiercely and Clark managed to fully removed the belt from his friend.
"Mr. Watts?"
Clark sighed as the sound of Chloe's voice reached his ears, he had almost been afraid that he might never hear it's sweet sound again.
Clark met Chloe's gaze as he answered her question in a soft tone, "He's dead Chloe…"
Chloe nodded as she wrapped her arms around herself and starred the body again.
"Chloe?"
Chloe's view of Mr. Watts was cut off as Clark moved in front of her.
When she refused to meet his gaze, Clark cupped her face lovingly in his hands and forced her to meet his gaze. "Chloe…I'm sor"
Chloe cut him off, "Clark…"
Suddenly, a huge smile lit up Clark's face. It was as if, just by saying his name, Clark knew that she was alright.
It finally hit him, * Chloe's alright…she's alive *
He suddenly had an overwhelming need to hold her and he pulled her into his arms.
Clark held on to her tightly, afraid to let her go, as fresh tears sprang to his eyes.
Chloe sank into the warm embrace and rested her head on Clark's broad shoulder.
She pushed away all thoughts, forgot where they were and just let the feeling of safety and bliss wash over her as she snuggled further into Clarks embrace.
Chloe knew in that moment, that nothing would ever feel as sweet as being in this man's arms while feeling the beat of his heart beneath her ear.
Clark stroked Chloe's hair reverently as he gave a silent thanks to any "higher" beings for looking out for her and keeping her safe.
* God…, she's so warm…so vibrant, just like always…her flame hasn't been dimmed…so soft… *
Clark pulled Chloe tighter against him as his hands gripped the supple flesh beneath.
Clark didn't know why, but holding her in his arms felt so…right…like he had come home.
* Which is ridiculous, since I love Lana…right? *
Clark pushed that thought aside as he pressed another soft kiss to the crown of Chloe's head. None of that truly mattered right now. All that mattered was that Chloe was safe and alive and in his arms.
After a few moments, Clark pulled back and gazed fondly into her eyes.
Chloe lifted her eyes and almost gasped at the tempest of emotions she could see in Clark's stare.
She had always been able to read the man like a book, but never once had she seen anything like what she was currently seeing.
There was a deep pain in his eyes and fear…fear for her…something which completely amazed Chloe.
Wasn't the man in love with a certain petite brunette? * Oh, shut up Sullivan, don't ruin a perfectly good moment…one, might add, that will be fuelling your fantasies for decades to come. *
Chloe shook herself from her inner bickering and refocused on the soulful gaze being directed at her.
There was definitely some relief in there, and happiness and…something else that she couldn't quite identify…
The air seemed to be charged around the pair as they stared into each other's eyes, their arms tightly wound around one another.
The moment was broken a minute later as a harsh clapping resounded through the room.
Both Chloe and Clark turned in the direction of the sound, still locked in their embrace; unwilling to let the other go just yet.
Cade stood several feet away, hands clasped in front of him.
"Touching…really, that was quite the heart warming scene. You play the hero so well boy, very predictable…"
Clark's eyes narrowed as he started to push Chloe behind him, to protect her, when Cade drew his gun.
"Ah, Ah, Ah…none of that, hero."
"What do you want, Cade."
Cade grinned, his eyes glinted in the florescent light.
"I want to play."
- End Part 7 -
Clark came to a halt as he rushed into the main room of the Smallville Savings and Loans.
His gaze immediately locked onto Chloe, who was slumped over in her chair.
* No! * Clark's heart beat wildly in his chest as he ran to her side.
It only took him a second to snap the hard plastic holding her wrists, and then he struggled frantically with Cade's belt as he tried to free her.
As soon as the belt was loosened Clark fell to his knees before Chloe, his eyes desperately searching hers, and scanning her body as he tried to find out whether she was alright.
His hands gripped her shoulders and shook her slightly as he called out to her in a pained and terrified voice.
"Chloe…Chloe, please…please speak to me, Chloe are you alright? Chloe!!!!"
Chloe vaguely heard someone speaking to her, but her gaze and mind were fixed on the corpse of Mr. Watts and the knowledge that she had caused his death.
It was her fault that he was dead. If she hadn't been so cocky with Cade, if she had just kept her mouth shut none of this would have happened. Cade wouldn't….
Clark ran his hands over his friend. * No blood…I can't find any blood… *; she seemed alright, she hadn't been shot.
* Thank God…I don't know what I would have done if she… * Clark shoved that thought aside. He didn't want to think about that; he couldn't.
She was alive; that was all that mattered.
When the silence stretched on Clark realized that something wasn't right. Chloe hadn't spoken a word since he had found her.
It was then that Clark noticed that she was starring at something behind him and he turned to see what it was.
Mr. Watts' lifeless body, lying in a pool of his own blood was what met Clark eyes.
Clark inhaled sharply.
* Mr. Watts…no… *
As if in daze, Clark slowly moved over to the body of the grocer and carefully placed his fingers on the man's wrist, but there was no pulse.
Clark sighed and ran a hand over his face. * I should have been here. I could have saved him. I… *
The sound of movement from behind him brought Clark back to reality.
Seeing Clark at Mr. Watts body had managed to snap Chloe out of her shock and she was struggling to get the belt the rest of the way off of her body.
Chloe was almost panicking in her desperation to get it off of her.
Clark was at her side in an instant and covered her hands with his. They were shaking fiercely and Clark managed to fully removed the belt from his friend.
"Mr. Watts?"
Clark sighed as the sound of Chloe's voice reached his ears, he had almost been afraid that he might never hear it's sweet sound again.
Clark met Chloe's gaze as he answered her question in a soft tone, "He's dead Chloe…"
Chloe nodded as she wrapped her arms around herself and starred the body again.
"Chloe?"
Chloe's view of Mr. Watts was cut off as Clark moved in front of her.
When she refused to meet his gaze, Clark cupped her face lovingly in his hands and forced her to meet his gaze. "Chloe…I'm sor"
Chloe cut him off, "Clark…"
Suddenly, a huge smile lit up Clark's face. It was as if, just by saying his name, Clark knew that she was alright.
It finally hit him, * Chloe's alright…she's alive *
He suddenly had an overwhelming need to hold her and he pulled her into his arms.
Clark held on to her tightly, afraid to let her go, as fresh tears sprang to his eyes.
Chloe sank into the warm embrace and rested her head on Clark's broad shoulder.
She pushed away all thoughts, forgot where they were and just let the feeling of safety and bliss wash over her as she snuggled further into Clarks embrace.
Chloe knew in that moment, that nothing would ever feel as sweet as being in this man's arms while feeling the beat of his heart beneath her ear.
Clark stroked Chloe's hair reverently as he gave a silent thanks to any "higher" beings for looking out for her and keeping her safe.
* God…, she's so warm…so vibrant, just like always…her flame hasn't been dimmed…so soft… *
Clark pulled Chloe tighter against him as his hands gripped the supple flesh beneath.
Clark didn't know why, but holding her in his arms felt so…right…like he had come home.
* Which is ridiculous, since I love Lana…right? *
Clark pushed that thought aside as he pressed another soft kiss to the crown of Chloe's head. None of that truly mattered right now. All that mattered was that Chloe was safe and alive and in his arms.
After a few moments, Clark pulled back and gazed fondly into her eyes.
Chloe lifted her eyes and almost gasped at the tempest of emotions she could see in Clark's stare.
She had always been able to read the man like a book, but never once had she seen anything like what she was currently seeing.
There was a deep pain in his eyes and fear…fear for her…something which completely amazed Chloe.
Wasn't the man in love with a certain petite brunette? * Oh, shut up Sullivan, don't ruin a perfectly good moment…one, might add, that will be fuelling your fantasies for decades to come. *
Chloe shook herself from her inner bickering and refocused on the soulful gaze being directed at her.
There was definitely some relief in there, and happiness and…something else that she couldn't quite identify…
The air seemed to be charged around the pair as they stared into each other's eyes, their arms tightly wound around one another.
The moment was broken a minute later as a harsh clapping resounded through the room.
Both Chloe and Clark turned in the direction of the sound, still locked in their embrace; unwilling to let the other go just yet.
Cade stood several feet away, hands clasped in front of him.
"Touching…really, that was quite the heart warming scene. You play the hero so well boy, very predictable…"
Clark's eyes narrowed as he started to push Chloe behind him, to protect her, when Cade drew his gun.
"Ah, Ah, Ah…none of that, hero."
"What do you want, Cade."
Cade grinned, his eyes glinted in the florescent light.
"I want to play."
- End Part 7 -