11. Let The Truth Sting
CHLOE
I've been driving this damn car for hours. Clark got out of the hall, but I got stuck there. Trying to find excuses for Pete when he came looking to see why Clark had abandoned me. I'm getting tired of that, because Pete and I used to be close. And all I could think of was that Clark nearly kissed me. I nearly kissed him.
I want to see Lex. I need to see him.
I left him alone to face whatever happened, just so I could have a little fun. A little normality. This is Smallville - we don't do normal. My first big dance and a fucking tornado rips up the state. Wouldn't you just guess?
I nearly kissed Clark.
Now I need Lex's arms round me, his lips on mine, so I can tell him that I haven't left him. That I'm here.
Because he's seen Clark be 'just friends' before. Because he went ahead and let me do whatever. He trusted me, trusted Clark, and it's been so hard to get him to trust.
I don't want to go back to Metropolis like this.
Did he trust us? Or is he expecting to be betrayed? I need to see him.
Taking people to the damn hospital because I've got a car, and I don't want to be here.
Clark got to Lana in time. She's dazed and bruised, but she's alive. No sign of Clark, and that's a good thing right now.
The town is a mess. Buildings, trees, vehicles. Nothing is where it should be, and the sky is one big bruise still. The world turned upside-down.
I nearly put both feet through the bottom of the car when Clark -appears- in the road ahead of me. Fight to maintain control of the car as it slides, and -know- that's going to be expensive when I hear the thud. Two hands on the side of the vehicle, and he's stopped it like he was catching a soda-can.
He looks like he's been standing in a shredder. Slightly glassy-eyed.
Riding the tornado. Jesus.
He's been back to the farm, found Lex's car wrecked up in the side of the barn. No sign of his parents. And he won't run ahead.
"I need to stay with you."
"Why?"
"Lex asked me to protect you."
"From what?" Total suspicion now. What has he done now?
Sometimes I despise my chosen profession. Grip the wheel really tightly, because he didn't tell me. Realise that this must be our player in the office, and that -I- didn't tell -him-. Crap.
Clark is wriggling uncomfortably.
"Chloe.."
"Don't, Clark. We nearly messed up."
"Oh." Small, hurt voice. Sometimes I don't believe him.
We left Lex to cover our backs, while we goofed off. I have never told Lex I love him. He's my lover, but I have never said the words. I've been too scared. Just took him for granted. Seen my father moving through the house, a stunned ghost. Never thought that Lex must be doing the same thing - only with the knowledge that everyone blames him. And I wasn't there. Don't know what I could have done - I have no experience of business of finance. But I should have been there.
So I might have to start a new High School? Okay, I have good grades. It's not like I have to start looking for another job. Like my father. -My- father loves me.
Why would Lex want a silly little girl who runs away at the first sign of trouble?
"We can't just leave it, Chloe."
"We can."
"Stop the car."
"What?"
"Stop the car, or I'll stop it." He means it.
I stop the car. Bounce round in my seat.
"Talk fast - we haven't the time for this."
"Chloe...I have feelings for you, okay?"
"Well, you shouldn't. I'm no longer available, Clark. What is it with you? Only girls with boyfriends? We don't exist while we're solo?" He gapes. I'm getting nicely warmed up. "I'm dating your new best friend, remember?"
CLARK
Every word hits like a stone.
"That wasn't just me back in that hall, Chloe."
"I know. And it was wrong. I'm sorry. I was playing at having a normal life." She blinks back tears. "You'll always be special to me, Clark. But I'm with Lex."
"What happens when he goes back to Metropolis?" I'm being cruel, and angry. Hate fighting with Chloe, but we need to do this. "Will he come and pick you up from High school in his limo?
Actually feel the impact of her palm.
CHLOE
I think I broke something.
Possibly my friendship. Shocked pause, then he bites his lip.
"God, Chloe, I'm sorry."
I'm tired and frightened, and I don't want to fight with Clark. We can't afford to fight. We can't afford to fight with Lex. An unwelcome thought.
Concentrate.
"I want to stay friends with you, Clark. Had you even -thought- about what this would do to Lex? He -trusts- you."
He's keeping the biggest secret you have locked up in his house, and do you really want to upset him?
"Fuck!" I've never heard Clark swear like that before. He puts his head in his hands. "What are you going to tell him?"
"The truth. We had a good time until you had to go be a boy scout. And that I love -him-."
"Oh." Pause. "Is this because of ...me? And...stuff?"
"Clark!" Process that. "No. I had feelings for you, and then I moved on. Lex doesn't lie to me."
"And I did."
"You did. But by the time I understood why, I had feelings for Lex." I touch his shoulder. "If you had told me before..."
"If I'd told you before, you'd have been helping me keep the secret from -him-."
Draw my hand back. Punch him in the shoulder, to let him know I mean it.
"He could have turned you over to the government or his father by now. He's your -friend-, Clark. Stop channelling Pete for a second and listen to yourself."
"I'm just..." He shakes his head. "I messed up bad this time, didn't I?"
"Yeah." I shift the car into drive again. "Now I need to go see him."
"Whitney asked me to look after Lana for him." He says suddenly. I nearly stall the car.
"Is he -insane-?" Military Intelligence is a definite oxymoron there.
"I just have this face that people trust."
"Stupid people."
"Lex trusted me." He trusted me, too.
"Lex isn't stupid. You're a good guy, Clark Kent. We can fix this." I hope. Horrible thought. "Unless...he doesn't want me anymore."
Oh God. Perhaps the reason I haven't heard from him was because it was too much trouble now. He's fired my father, so he doesn't need to keep making nice with the locals.
CLARK
I can fix this. Need to fix this. Swallow down my feelings, because she's right.
"Don't be so stupid, Clo." Hand on her shoulder. "He'd be crazy. I've seen the way he looks at you."
I could have destroyed everything. My friendship with Lex, my friendship with Chloe. And who knows how Lex would react to being hurt? I'm not blind to his faults, and I know how I feel. I can go and smash rocks up when I'm pissed. Lex could smash the world. Our world certainly. Instead, he's trying to save us all. And Chloe's right. We just left him to get on with it.
"He loves you, Chloe." Words taste bitter, but I can feel the -rightness- of them. "He wouldn't fight so hard if he didn't. He trusted me to look after you, give you a special evening when he couldn't. I'm the one that messed up."
We need to get to the mansion. Find my folks. Find out what's going on.
If that reporter is there, I may have to stop him. If I don't, Lex will. He was prepared to leave his own father to die a while back - what he'd do to someone who wasn't family...
Ryan was right about the darkness in him. But Chloe - is light and fire and energy. She makes him into a different person. They belong together. I had no right to try and get in the way of that.
CHLOE
I've been driving this damn car for hours. Clark got out of the hall, but I got stuck there. Trying to find excuses for Pete when he came looking to see why Clark had abandoned me. I'm getting tired of that, because Pete and I used to be close. And all I could think of was that Clark nearly kissed me. I nearly kissed him.
I want to see Lex. I need to see him.
I left him alone to face whatever happened, just so I could have a little fun. A little normality. This is Smallville - we don't do normal. My first big dance and a fucking tornado rips up the state. Wouldn't you just guess?
I nearly kissed Clark.
Now I need Lex's arms round me, his lips on mine, so I can tell him that I haven't left him. That I'm here.
Because he's seen Clark be 'just friends' before. Because he went ahead and let me do whatever. He trusted me, trusted Clark, and it's been so hard to get him to trust.
I don't want to go back to Metropolis like this.
Did he trust us? Or is he expecting to be betrayed? I need to see him.
Taking people to the damn hospital because I've got a car, and I don't want to be here.
Clark got to Lana in time. She's dazed and bruised, but she's alive. No sign of Clark, and that's a good thing right now.
The town is a mess. Buildings, trees, vehicles. Nothing is where it should be, and the sky is one big bruise still. The world turned upside-down.
I nearly put both feet through the bottom of the car when Clark -appears- in the road ahead of me. Fight to maintain control of the car as it slides, and -know- that's going to be expensive when I hear the thud. Two hands on the side of the vehicle, and he's stopped it like he was catching a soda-can.
He looks like he's been standing in a shredder. Slightly glassy-eyed.
Riding the tornado. Jesus.
He's been back to the farm, found Lex's car wrecked up in the side of the barn. No sign of his parents. And he won't run ahead.
"I need to stay with you."
"Why?"
"Lex asked me to protect you."
"From what?" Total suspicion now. What has he done now?
Sometimes I despise my chosen profession. Grip the wheel really tightly, because he didn't tell me. Realise that this must be our player in the office, and that -I- didn't tell -him-. Crap.
Clark is wriggling uncomfortably.
"Chloe.."
"Don't, Clark. We nearly messed up."
"Oh." Small, hurt voice. Sometimes I don't believe him.
We left Lex to cover our backs, while we goofed off. I have never told Lex I love him. He's my lover, but I have never said the words. I've been too scared. Just took him for granted. Seen my father moving through the house, a stunned ghost. Never thought that Lex must be doing the same thing - only with the knowledge that everyone blames him. And I wasn't there. Don't know what I could have done - I have no experience of business of finance. But I should have been there.
So I might have to start a new High School? Okay, I have good grades. It's not like I have to start looking for another job. Like my father. -My- father loves me.
Why would Lex want a silly little girl who runs away at the first sign of trouble?
"We can't just leave it, Chloe."
"We can."
"Stop the car."
"What?"
"Stop the car, or I'll stop it." He means it.
I stop the car. Bounce round in my seat.
"Talk fast - we haven't the time for this."
"Chloe...I have feelings for you, okay?"
"Well, you shouldn't. I'm no longer available, Clark. What is it with you? Only girls with boyfriends? We don't exist while we're solo?" He gapes. I'm getting nicely warmed up. "I'm dating your new best friend, remember?"
CLARK
Every word hits like a stone.
"That wasn't just me back in that hall, Chloe."
"I know. And it was wrong. I'm sorry. I was playing at having a normal life." She blinks back tears. "You'll always be special to me, Clark. But I'm with Lex."
"What happens when he goes back to Metropolis?" I'm being cruel, and angry. Hate fighting with Chloe, but we need to do this. "Will he come and pick you up from High school in his limo?
Actually feel the impact of her palm.
CHLOE
I think I broke something.
Possibly my friendship. Shocked pause, then he bites his lip.
"God, Chloe, I'm sorry."
I'm tired and frightened, and I don't want to fight with Clark. We can't afford to fight. We can't afford to fight with Lex. An unwelcome thought.
Concentrate.
"I want to stay friends with you, Clark. Had you even -thought- about what this would do to Lex? He -trusts- you."
He's keeping the biggest secret you have locked up in his house, and do you really want to upset him?
"Fuck!" I've never heard Clark swear like that before. He puts his head in his hands. "What are you going to tell him?"
"The truth. We had a good time until you had to go be a boy scout. And that I love -him-."
"Oh." Pause. "Is this because of ...me? And...stuff?"
"Clark!" Process that. "No. I had feelings for you, and then I moved on. Lex doesn't lie to me."
"And I did."
"You did. But by the time I understood why, I had feelings for Lex." I touch his shoulder. "If you had told me before..."
"If I'd told you before, you'd have been helping me keep the secret from -him-."
Draw my hand back. Punch him in the shoulder, to let him know I mean it.
"He could have turned you over to the government or his father by now. He's your -friend-, Clark. Stop channelling Pete for a second and listen to yourself."
"I'm just..." He shakes his head. "I messed up bad this time, didn't I?"
"Yeah." I shift the car into drive again. "Now I need to go see him."
"Whitney asked me to look after Lana for him." He says suddenly. I nearly stall the car.
"Is he -insane-?" Military Intelligence is a definite oxymoron there.
"I just have this face that people trust."
"Stupid people."
"Lex trusted me." He trusted me, too.
"Lex isn't stupid. You're a good guy, Clark Kent. We can fix this." I hope. Horrible thought. "Unless...he doesn't want me anymore."
Oh God. Perhaps the reason I haven't heard from him was because it was too much trouble now. He's fired my father, so he doesn't need to keep making nice with the locals.
CLARK
I can fix this. Need to fix this. Swallow down my feelings, because she's right.
"Don't be so stupid, Clo." Hand on her shoulder. "He'd be crazy. I've seen the way he looks at you."
I could have destroyed everything. My friendship with Lex, my friendship with Chloe. And who knows how Lex would react to being hurt? I'm not blind to his faults, and I know how I feel. I can go and smash rocks up when I'm pissed. Lex could smash the world. Our world certainly. Instead, he's trying to save us all. And Chloe's right. We just left him to get on with it.
"He loves you, Chloe." Words taste bitter, but I can feel the -rightness- of them. "He wouldn't fight so hard if he didn't. He trusted me to look after you, give you a special evening when he couldn't. I'm the one that messed up."
We need to get to the mansion. Find my folks. Find out what's going on.
If that reporter is there, I may have to stop him. If I don't, Lex will. He was prepared to leave his own father to die a while back - what he'd do to someone who wasn't family...
Ryan was right about the darkness in him. But Chloe - is light and fire and energy. She makes him into a different person. They belong together. I had no right to try and get in the way of that.