Chapter 7
Chloe was in the barn, sitting on top of the tractor. She was talking to Lex as Clark flew around, trying fix a leak in the barn's roof.
"How are you, Lex?" Chloe asked, leaning her back against the steering wheel of the large machine.
"Good," Lex answered thoughtfully. "Much better than last week."
Chloe smiled. "That's good," she said, before looking up and pointing to the roof. "Hey Clark, over there."
"Thanks," Clark said with a bright smile, flying over to where Chloe pointed.
Just then Lana and Lauren came into the barn hand in hand. Immediately, Clark gasped and dropped to the barn floor with a hard thud.
"Clark!" Chloe exclaimed, jumping off the tractor and racing to his side. Chloe noticed his bulging veins before he had to tell her. Without a word she wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him until he was sitting against a bale of hay. "Lana," Chloe said, looking to her friend. "Are you wearing your necklace?"
Lana's hand flew to her throat. "No, I never wear it around Clark. Not since I found out it hurt him."
"It's Lauren," Clark breathed, wincing from the pain of the fall.
Lana dropped to her knees by the small girls. "Lauren, empty your pockets," she said, holding out her hand.
Lauren's bottom lip came out in a pout as she pulled a handful of glowing green rocks from her pocket and gave them to Lana.
Lana took the rocks and jogged outside the barn, returning a few seconds later. "I put them in the car. I'll get rid of them later."
Chloe nodded. "Clark, are you okay?" she asked worriedly. She still hadn't moved her arm from around him.
Clark ran a hand through his wavy hair. "Yeah. Lauren, come here."
Lauren ducked her head guiltily and slowly walked to Clark. "Yes, Daddy?"
Chloe picked Lauren up and set her in-between her and Clark. "What are our rules about the green rocks, Laur?" she asked gently.
"Do not bring them close to Daddy," Lauren said, nodding her head with each word.
"Right. And why not?" Clark asked, looking down at his daughter.
Lauren looked up at Clark. "Because they hurt you?"
"And do you want to hurt Daddy?" Chloe asked, brushing Lauren's hair with her fingers.
Lauren shook her head emphatically. "No, I do not."
"I know you don't," Clark said, gathering Lauren into a hug.
"What do you say, Laur?" Chloe urged, looking at her daughter.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," Lauren said, kissing his cheek.
Clark laughed, and set Lauren on the ground. "It's okay. Were you and Aunt Lana having fun?"
Lauren looked at Lana, ran to her, and jumped into her arms.
Lana laughed. "Sorry, Clark. I didn't know she picked them up."
"It's okay, Lan, it's not your fault. She knows better," Clark said, smiling reassuringly at Lana.
"I don't mean to break this up, but are we on for tomorrow?" Lex asked, looking at each adult in turn.
"Are you kidding?" Chloe asked, standing and brushing the dust from her jeans. "I've been waiting to have another night in Metropolis for the longest time."
Clark stood and wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders. "You just want to go dancing."
"Got that right," Chloe said, causing the group to laugh.
"We'll pick you guys up tomorrow at eight, alright?" Lex asked, smiling.
"We can go now," Chloe said, winking at Lex.
"Or we can go now," Lana said with a laugh.
"We'll see you tomorrow at eight," Clark said, tickling Chloe with one finger. "Can you meet us at Mom and Dad's? We need to drop Lauren off."
Chloe was in the barn, sitting on top of the tractor. She was talking to Lex as Clark flew around, trying fix a leak in the barn's roof.
"How are you, Lex?" Chloe asked, leaning her back against the steering wheel of the large machine.
"Good," Lex answered thoughtfully. "Much better than last week."
Chloe smiled. "That's good," she said, before looking up and pointing to the roof. "Hey Clark, over there."
"Thanks," Clark said with a bright smile, flying over to where Chloe pointed.
Just then Lana and Lauren came into the barn hand in hand. Immediately, Clark gasped and dropped to the barn floor with a hard thud.
"Clark!" Chloe exclaimed, jumping off the tractor and racing to his side. Chloe noticed his bulging veins before he had to tell her. Without a word she wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him until he was sitting against a bale of hay. "Lana," Chloe said, looking to her friend. "Are you wearing your necklace?"
Lana's hand flew to her throat. "No, I never wear it around Clark. Not since I found out it hurt him."
"It's Lauren," Clark breathed, wincing from the pain of the fall.
Lana dropped to her knees by the small girls. "Lauren, empty your pockets," she said, holding out her hand.
Lauren's bottom lip came out in a pout as she pulled a handful of glowing green rocks from her pocket and gave them to Lana.
Lana took the rocks and jogged outside the barn, returning a few seconds later. "I put them in the car. I'll get rid of them later."
Chloe nodded. "Clark, are you okay?" she asked worriedly. She still hadn't moved her arm from around him.
Clark ran a hand through his wavy hair. "Yeah. Lauren, come here."
Lauren ducked her head guiltily and slowly walked to Clark. "Yes, Daddy?"
Chloe picked Lauren up and set her in-between her and Clark. "What are our rules about the green rocks, Laur?" she asked gently.
"Do not bring them close to Daddy," Lauren said, nodding her head with each word.
"Right. And why not?" Clark asked, looking down at his daughter.
Lauren looked up at Clark. "Because they hurt you?"
"And do you want to hurt Daddy?" Chloe asked, brushing Lauren's hair with her fingers.
Lauren shook her head emphatically. "No, I do not."
"I know you don't," Clark said, gathering Lauren into a hug.
"What do you say, Laur?" Chloe urged, looking at her daughter.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," Lauren said, kissing his cheek.
Clark laughed, and set Lauren on the ground. "It's okay. Were you and Aunt Lana having fun?"
Lauren looked at Lana, ran to her, and jumped into her arms.
Lana laughed. "Sorry, Clark. I didn't know she picked them up."
"It's okay, Lan, it's not your fault. She knows better," Clark said, smiling reassuringly at Lana.
"I don't mean to break this up, but are we on for tomorrow?" Lex asked, looking at each adult in turn.
"Are you kidding?" Chloe asked, standing and brushing the dust from her jeans. "I've been waiting to have another night in Metropolis for the longest time."
Clark stood and wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders. "You just want to go dancing."
"Got that right," Chloe said, causing the group to laugh.
"We'll pick you guys up tomorrow at eight, alright?" Lex asked, smiling.
"We can go now," Chloe said, winking at Lex.
"Or we can go now," Lana said with a laugh.
"We'll see you tomorrow at eight," Clark said, tickling Chloe with one finger. "Can you meet us at Mom and Dad's? We need to drop Lauren off."