No Damsel In Distress
By Misha

Disclaimer- I totally do not own any of the characters of Smallville (though I wish I owned Lex!), they belong to a lot of people with more money than me. I am not making any money off using them in this story, so please don't sue me.

Author's Notes- I don't know what exactly possessed me to write this, but the first line popped into my head and everything else came from there. It's a possible aftermath to "Tempest" and focuses on Clark and Chloe, but not as a couple. Sorry, but they're a pairing I just can't bring myself to like. Sorry, all C/C shippers. Well, that's all, enjoy!

Rating- PG

Archive- Wherever, just tell me first.

Spoilers- Tempest.

"You're the hero type, but I'll never be the damsel in distress."

Clark heard Chloe's words and the bitterness with which she said them.

"Chloe-" He began, but she cut him off.

"No." She told him. "Don't. We both know it's true. You need someone that you can shelter, whom you can protect from the realities of the world. And we both know that I'm not that person."

Clark turned his head.

He had come to find Chloe and apologize for leaving her at the dance. But he'd really had no idea what he'd say to her, especially given everything that had happened since their almost kiss.

"Is Lana okay?" Chloe asked, as if suddenly realizing she had forgotten about the girl who was the main reason Clark had left the night before.

Clark smiled. "She's fine. She's in the hospital, they just wanted to keep her over night to make sure, but she's going to be okay."

"That's good." Chloe said softly, pointedly looking over at the clock. Showing that more than sixteen hours had passed since Clark had left her to go save Lana. "Did you stay with her all night?"

"No." Clark answered. "I went home and to Lex's. I knew that you and Pete were safe at the school and I wanted to make sure that everyone else was safe also."

Chloe didn't say anything at first.

"Were they?" She said finally.

Clark paused. Trying to figure out to put some of the things that had happened into words.

Not all of them.

There were some things that he could never tell Chloe and other things that he wasn't sure how to. But that he knew he had to.

"Mom and Dad are fine." He said softly.

That wasn't completely true. They were seriously shaken up. The ship had come to life and Roger Nixon had ended up being blown away in the storm and killed. Clark knew that it wasn't right, but he couldn't help thinking, good riddance.

Thinking of that reminded him of another person whose death he wouldn't exactly mourn. He felt bad for Lex, but...

"Lionel Luthor's dead." He said quietly.

Chloe stared at him. "What!?"

"The roof started to collapse, a beam fell on top of him. Lex wasn't able to move it and his father was crushed to death."

"Oh my God. What happens now?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know." Clark said. "Lex is pretty out of it." "I bet." Chloe said softly. "That's where you were, isn't it?"

"Most of the night." Clark confirmed. "I didn't want to leave him."

"I understand." Chloe said softly. "You would never leave anyone who really needed you."

Somehow Clark knew that the words weren't exactly meant to be complimentary.

"Chloe, I'm sorry about last night."

"Clark, really it's okay." She told him. "I don't really understand, but I know that you had a good reason. You always do. It just made me think, that's all."

Chloe paused. "Last night started out so good, but then you left and I realized that you'll always do that. I know it's not your fault, that it's who you are. But I can't just sit back and watch as you disappear all the time."

Clark knew that she was right.

He had thought about it a lot during the last sixteen hours and realized that he and Chloe had so many flaws when it came to them being a couple.

She was too curious, for one. He knew that he couldn't tell her the truth and that the secrets would drive a wedge through their relationship, if nothing else did.

But, honestly, he also had to admit that they were also just too different.

She was right, he was the type who wanted someone to protect. Someone whom he could rescue and who would look at him with big eyes and lean on him for support. Someone like Lana.

It sounded bad, even to himself, but it was true.

"You know it too." Chloe stated quietly.

"Yeah." Clark said quietly. "That's one of the reasons I came here. To apologize to you and..."

"Let me guess," Chloe interrupted, "to break the news that something happened between you and Lana."

"Yeah." Clark said. He paused, not wanting to hurt Chloe, but knowing that he had to be completely honest with her. "I love her Chloe and she loves me."

Chloe laughed humourlessly. "I know."

Then she sighed and reached over and kissed his cheek. "But, I also know that it's better that way. Lana's the type of girl you need, your damsel in distress."

They were both quiet. It was strange how much their lives had changed in one night.

Clark had honestly thought that he and Chloe might be happy together, but...

Then everything happened and Clark was forced to see what it was that he really wanted.

The worst part was, and he would never say it out loud, but it hadn't occurred to him for hours to check on Chloe. After he had saved Lana, he had gone home to check on his parents, and then he had gone to the mansion to make sure Lex was safe.

There had been no time to worry about anyone else.

Not even Chloe.

Chloe broke the silence first. "Shouldn't you go check on Lana?"

"Yeah." Clark agreed. "Talk to you later, Chloe."

"Okay." Chloe said softly, walking him to the door.

As Clark exited the house and headed for his mother's car, he paused.

He turned around and saw Chloe standing at the window, a sad look on her face. It broke Clark's heart to see it, but there was nothing he could do.

So he turned back around and got into the car and drove away.

Chloe watched as he did so.

It hurt, but, as she had told Clark, she wasn't the fragile type. The type to fall to pieces because something bad, and even if she did, she would pick herself up and put herself back together.

It might take time, but it would happen.

After all, she could take care of herself.

She was no damsel in distress, and she really wanted to believe that that was a good thing.

The End