Chapter 20- Pete's Verdict: Get Over It! Clark's Verdict: You're In Big Trouble, Mister!

"Hey, Lan. Is Chloe home?" Pete asked the next morning.

"Not if he wants to talk about Clark," Chloe called from the living room.

"Well?" Lana asked.

Pete brushed past her and into the living room. He stood between Chloe and the TV.

"Hey," Chloe complained.

"What you said really hurt Clark," Pete said.

Chloe sat up on the edge of the couch. "What Clark did to me those years really hurt me. What Lex said yesterday really hurt me. What everyone is trying to do between me and Clark really hurt me," she said looking up at Pete. "I know your loyalties lie with Clark, and that's all well and good, but I refuse to be the bad guy."

"No one is making you out to be the bad guy," Pete said, planting his feet on the carpet.

"By accusing me of making Hannah mad, Clark made me the bad guy. By saying what he did yesterday, Lex made me the bad guy. By coming in here today and saying that I hurt Clark, you are making me the bad guy," Chloe pointed out.

"So, Clark's the one who is in the wrong?" Pete asked.

"No, Lex is the one who is in the wrong. I don't blame Clark for what Lex did," Chloe said standing up.

"But you blame him for hurting you even though he didn't know he was doing it," Pete said, a statement more than a question.

"Yes," Chloe said, narrowing her eyes.

"Get over it, Chlo! Get over it," Pete said walking out of the house and slamming the door.

Chloe's jaw dropped.

Lana flung the door open. "Peter Ross you get back here right this instant! How dare you come into my house and say those things to my friend? I know Clark's hurt, but don't you ever talk to Chloe like that again," Lana called, becoming uncharacteristically angry.

Pete looked at Lana, got in his car, and peeled out of the driveway.

"Jerk!" Lana muttered, walking back into the house. "What is wrong with him?" When Lana got back to the living room Chloe was gone. "Chloe?" Lana called, going up the steps to Chloe's room.

Chloe was packing a small suitcase. She wasn't paying attention to what she was packing, just throwing clothes in.

"Chloe! What are you doing?" Lana asked, suddenly afraid.

"I have to get out of here. I have to leave. I can't take it anymore. Even Pete has turned on me," Chloe said trying not to cry.

"Please don't leave. I'll talk to him. He'll apologize," Lana begged.

"Only because you'll have forced him," Chloe said, continuing to fill the case.

"Chloe, no!" Lana said racing from the room. Lana ran down the stairs and to the phone. "Clark, Pete just confronted Chloe. Basically he told her to get over herself. Chloe's decided to leave. She's pack-" Lana was cut off when the front door swung open.

"Where is she?" Clark asked.

Lana pointed upstairs. "In her room."

Clark ran up the stairs. "Chloe?" he asked frantically.

"You've succeeded Clark. You've succeeded in pushing me away for the second time in your life. You can add another mark to your tally," Chloe asked, zipping the suitcase.

"I don't have a tally," Clark said. "All I have is a worn and tattered diary and a four year old picture of us sitting on my bedside table."

"No, guilt doesn't work. Not when I've worked for years to make it not an option," Chloe said picking up the bag.

"I won't let you leave," Clark said standing in the doorway.

"Then I'll go down kicking and screaming," Chloe replied.

Clark backed out of the door, knowing it wasn't the way to keep Chloe with him.

Chloe walked down the stairs, then turned on Clark. "Congratulations, you've made my one true friend despise me. I never thought it was possible, but we are in Smallville, land of the strange."

"Chloe, wait!" Clark urged.

"I'm tired of waiting on you and everyone else," Chloe said grabbing her keys off the table by the door. She turned on Lana. "Thanks for going behind my back and telling Clark to come and stop me."

Lana's eyes got wide. "I just told off my fiancé for you."

"Yes, you did," Chloe agreed. "Good bye, Lana."

"Chloe, where are you going?" Clark asked.

"I don't know," Chloe answered.

"Please don't go," Clark begged, beginning to break down.

Chloe saw the desperate pleading look in Clark's eye and immediately softened. "Why?"

"Chloe, I need you. I refuse to let you walk out of my life again. I don't care what Lex and Pete say. They're acting like jerks. Don't leave because of them, stay because of me," Clark pleaded.

Chloe took a deep breath. "What is it with you and Kent charm?" she muttered, frowning and shaking her head.

"Please, Chloe? For me?" Clark asked.

Chloe sighed, and nodded almost imperceptibly. "On one condition."

"Anything," Clark agreed.

"Tell Pete and Lex to stay the hell out of my business. They have no right to judge me," Chloe said angrily.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

"What's up, Clark?" Lex asked, climbing the stairs to Clark's loft.

"Wait for Pete, then you'll know," Clark replied coldly.

Lex looked intrigued as he took a seat on the couch.

Minutes later Pete made his entrance.

"Sit," Clark demanded.

"What's up, man?" Pete asked quizzically.

"Chloe decided to leave today," Clark said.

"What?!" Lex asked standing up.

"Sit down," Clark demanded. "She didn't leave. It took a lot of convincing to make her stay."

"Why did she want to leave?" Pete asked.

"She said that I have succeeded in making everyone, including Pete turn on her," Clark said, crossing his arms and waiting for an explanation.

"I didn't turn on her," Pete said.

"You call barging into Lana's and telling Chloe to get over it not turning on her? What possessed you to do such a thing?" Clark asked.

"Ooh, you're gonna get it," Lex said with a smirk.

"Shut up, Lex! You'll have your turn," Clark said.

Lex got real quiet, real fast.

"I'll ask again. What possessed you to do such a thing?" Clark repeated.

"I was just standing up for you," Pete replied in confusion.

"You two need to stop doing that! By 'standing up for me' you are making Chloe think that we are ganging up on her. She thinks that I send you to talk to her," Clark explained.

"But you don't," Lex said.

"My point exactly. If I knew you two were going to pull this crap I would have stopped you, but Chloe doesn't know that. All she sees is my two best friends being rude to her," Clark continued to prove his point.

"It was just this once," Pete complained.

"Just this once was enough to make Chloe rethink staying here. Do you understand what you two have done?" Clark asked.

"I had no idea she would take it so hard," Pete admitted.

"You are the one person Chloe felt loved her before she left. You're the one person she missed while she was away. You're the one person she loves the most, and you didn't think she would take it so hard?" Clark asked, once again amazed.

"What did you do?" Lex asked.

"He told Chloe to get over it. He pretty much said she was being rude and to get over what happened in high school," Clark said, still a little angry.

"Wow! That's bad," Lex admitted.

"What are you in for?" Pete joked.

"This isn't funny, Pete!" Clark said loudly.

"Sorry. Seriously, though, what did Lex do?" Pete asked.

"He tried to force Chloe to be in love with me," Clark replied.

"Ooh, that doesn't work. I know from experience. I tried to make Clark be in love with Chloe," Pete told Lex.

"How did that turn out?" Lex asked, his eyes twinkling.

"It worked, only a few years too late," Pete answered.

Lex nodded thoughtfully.

"Would you two stop it?!" Clark asked.

"Okay, we're sorry," Lex admitted.

"That's not good enough," Clark replied. "Chloe almost left. Do you grasp the concept of how horrible that would have been if I couldn't have stopped her?"

"Yes, Clark, we do. If she had left it would have been our fault," Lex said. "Like you so rudely accused it of being the first time."

"I didn't mean what I said, but yes, this time it would have been your fault," Clark agreed.

"We'll fix it, won't we Lex?" Pete asked.

"Of course we will. Luthors can fix anything," Lex replied.

Clark rolled his eyes in despair, giving up on getting through to them.