Author's Note: Chapter 12, you braved all the other chapters 2 finally get
here...... where the real stuff happens, hopefully. So this is like, the
next chapter..... and ummm I just wanna thank everyone that has been
reviewing, I'm really appreciating it. Sooooo next chapter!
** This indicates a thought **
Chapter 12
"He's beautiful." Jean said petting an almost golden Champagne horse.
"Sunny?" Clark and Jean had finished building the fence and he was taking a break to show her the stables behind the barn.
"Yea, he's one good looking stallion." Jean said again stroking his mane.
"You wanna ride him?" He said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
"What?" She asked surprised.
"It's not that late and I haven't rode this guy in ages," he said referring to a brown Thoroughbred. "Diablo, could really use the exercise."
"With a name like Diablo, I can see why."
"My mom named a lot of the horses, except for the Pinto, I named her when I was three."
When the white and brown spotted Pinto saw Clark she neighed and tossed her head wildly.
** Awww Clark as a little kid, sooo CUTE! Note- ask Ms. Kent for pictures. ** Jean smiled, "What's his name?"
"Ummmm, it's...Cheer Bear." He looked away slightly embarrassed.
"I think that just about everyone loved the Care bears. Even the people you least expected like; Whitney or Lex." Clark shot her a puzzled look, "I had Care bear t-shirts, pajamas, pants, even a Care bear highchair!!" She explained, "Those were the golden years."
"Yeah," Clark shifted his gaze to the ground, still embarrassed. His hazel- green eyes scanning the ground carefully, desperately trying to change the topic to something other than Care bears. "So did you still want to go riding?"
"I don't know, Clark. I've never had riding lessons before, and..."
"City girl." He joked.
Jean folded her arms and pretended to be upset.
"I'll teach you."
**Who can resist that Kent Charm? It's like whenever he tells me something I believe it, I've never put this much trust and faith in anyone before. He just makes me feel so safe, like nothing can happen when Clark's here with me. **
"Okay, okay. What do I have to lose?" She sighed and followed Clark to Diablo's pen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Mr. Luthor, a Chuck Patterson called for you earlier. He sounded upset." The secretary handed Lex a slip of paper.
"Thank you, Sonya."
Lex picked up the phone and dialed the number that was written on the paper.
*ring*
*ring*
*ring*
"Hello?" A scruffy voice answered the phone.
"Yes, this is Lex Luthor returning your call."
"Luthor? Ya know what your people did? They contaminated my stream with your pesticides and it messed up my land and killed my horse!" The old man's voice raising ever so slightly.
"Mr. Patterson, you have no proof that my company dumped those barrels into your stream."
"Matthew Stover was one of the finest journalists in Smallville. He only spoke the truth and nothing in between. I believe everything he worked for, so I'm willing to sue your company at any cost."
Lex sighed in disgust the last thing he needed was a lawsuit, "Mr. Patterson filing a lawsuit against Luthorcorp would be futile, especially since you have no evidence."
"Don't worry Luthor, I'll have all the proof I need, I hope to be seeing you in court." The *click* on the other end of the line signified that Chuck had hung up.
Lex slammed the phone down angrily.
"Hey Lex," Staci walked nonchalantly into the office. "What was that all about?"
"Just business," was his reply.
"Oh ummm Okay." She shrugged, "I'm going to go to the Talon for a while, did you want me to bring you anything? Coffee maybe?" She smiled.
"Thanks, coffee's good."
"Okay then," Staci felt bad for eavesdropping, but then again Chuck needed to be dealt with accordingly. **He just CAN'T get away with that. ** She turned, smiled again and exited the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jean stormed back into the stable and threw down Sunny's reigns. She crossed her arms and stood in one corner of the stable.
"You're getting better." Clark came in shortly after her; he hung up the saddles and glanced over at Jean.
"Better? I ran into three tree branches, fell off the horse about five friggin' times and I think I may have twisted my ankle. That's better?" She started walking towards the door.
"It takes some time," Clark said taking her arm suddenly, turning her around to face him, "By the end of the year I swear you'll be a pro. If not you can tar and feather me."
Her disbelieving gaze was replaced with a more comical one, she stared into his eyes.
**His beautiful hazel green eyes. **
He seemed to be doing the same but Jean didn't know for sure, she was too focused on the beauty that was Clark Kent.
"Clark!"
Martha was calling him.
Clark released her arm and they broke away from each other's gaze.
"I'd better go see what she wants."
"Um yeah," she coughed. "yeah."
Once she was sure Clark had left she walked over to Sunny's pen and stroked his mane.
**All he does is look you in the eye and you act like a giddy 1st grade girl, who gets worked up when she discovers that her parents bought her that Barbie Dreamhouse she wanted so much, for Christmas. Get a hold of yourself Jean. ** Jean mentally scolded herself. **You just want to be friends, and that's all. **
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Clark, there you are." Martha smiled when Clark walked in the front door.
"I need you to take this to Chuck Patterson," she said handing him a basket of produce, "I would take it myself, but I still haven't finished those pies for Lana....."
"Sure, mom." Clark said taking the produce from his mother, exiting the same way he had came in.
"Oh and Clark...."
"Yeah?"
"Be careful."
"I will." Clark smiled and walked out of the door. **Do all mothers worry this much? **
He carefully put the basket into the back of the pickup that was parked in the driveway and drove off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
**Forty five twenty two, this should be it. ** Clark thought to himself.
He pulled the truck into the driveway and got out hesitantly. ** Something is definitely wrong. ** The house just didn't seem right, for one thing Lucky, Patterson's Golden Retriever, wasn't barking like she usually would whenever visitors arrived at the farm.
Clark collected the produce and walked up to the front door, he knocked forcefully.
No answer, he waited and tried again. Still no answer.
He cautiously attempted to put the crate down by the door.
**That's odd, Chuck's always home. **
Focusing, he peered inside the house using his x-ray vision, scanning the corridors and rooms quickly.
**What's that? **
The outline of a skeleton was slumped over on a chair; the figure wasn't moving or breathing. It's heart and blood were black, signifying that whatever, or whoever it was had died a while ago.
Clark instantly kicked down the front door and ran to the figure "seated" on the chair.
Chuck Patterson was dead.
Clark could only stare at horrifying and sickening sight.
"HA- HA- HA." Was spray-painted in Candy Apple red all over the walls in the house.
Clark looked around once more but turned and ran away from the house, not looking back.
********************************************************************* TBC
** This indicates a thought **
Chapter 12
"He's beautiful." Jean said petting an almost golden Champagne horse.
"Sunny?" Clark and Jean had finished building the fence and he was taking a break to show her the stables behind the barn.
"Yea, he's one good looking stallion." Jean said again stroking his mane.
"You wanna ride him?" He said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
"What?" She asked surprised.
"It's not that late and I haven't rode this guy in ages," he said referring to a brown Thoroughbred. "Diablo, could really use the exercise."
"With a name like Diablo, I can see why."
"My mom named a lot of the horses, except for the Pinto, I named her when I was three."
When the white and brown spotted Pinto saw Clark she neighed and tossed her head wildly.
** Awww Clark as a little kid, sooo CUTE! Note- ask Ms. Kent for pictures. ** Jean smiled, "What's his name?"
"Ummmm, it's...Cheer Bear." He looked away slightly embarrassed.
"I think that just about everyone loved the Care bears. Even the people you least expected like; Whitney or Lex." Clark shot her a puzzled look, "I had Care bear t-shirts, pajamas, pants, even a Care bear highchair!!" She explained, "Those were the golden years."
"Yeah," Clark shifted his gaze to the ground, still embarrassed. His hazel- green eyes scanning the ground carefully, desperately trying to change the topic to something other than Care bears. "So did you still want to go riding?"
"I don't know, Clark. I've never had riding lessons before, and..."
"City girl." He joked.
Jean folded her arms and pretended to be upset.
"I'll teach you."
**Who can resist that Kent Charm? It's like whenever he tells me something I believe it, I've never put this much trust and faith in anyone before. He just makes me feel so safe, like nothing can happen when Clark's here with me. **
"Okay, okay. What do I have to lose?" She sighed and followed Clark to Diablo's pen.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Mr. Luthor, a Chuck Patterson called for you earlier. He sounded upset." The secretary handed Lex a slip of paper.
"Thank you, Sonya."
Lex picked up the phone and dialed the number that was written on the paper.
*ring*
*ring*
*ring*
"Hello?" A scruffy voice answered the phone.
"Yes, this is Lex Luthor returning your call."
"Luthor? Ya know what your people did? They contaminated my stream with your pesticides and it messed up my land and killed my horse!" The old man's voice raising ever so slightly.
"Mr. Patterson, you have no proof that my company dumped those barrels into your stream."
"Matthew Stover was one of the finest journalists in Smallville. He only spoke the truth and nothing in between. I believe everything he worked for, so I'm willing to sue your company at any cost."
Lex sighed in disgust the last thing he needed was a lawsuit, "Mr. Patterson filing a lawsuit against Luthorcorp would be futile, especially since you have no evidence."
"Don't worry Luthor, I'll have all the proof I need, I hope to be seeing you in court." The *click* on the other end of the line signified that Chuck had hung up.
Lex slammed the phone down angrily.
"Hey Lex," Staci walked nonchalantly into the office. "What was that all about?"
"Just business," was his reply.
"Oh ummm Okay." She shrugged, "I'm going to go to the Talon for a while, did you want me to bring you anything? Coffee maybe?" She smiled.
"Thanks, coffee's good."
"Okay then," Staci felt bad for eavesdropping, but then again Chuck needed to be dealt with accordingly. **He just CAN'T get away with that. ** She turned, smiled again and exited the room.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Jean stormed back into the stable and threw down Sunny's reigns. She crossed her arms and stood in one corner of the stable.
"You're getting better." Clark came in shortly after her; he hung up the saddles and glanced over at Jean.
"Better? I ran into three tree branches, fell off the horse about five friggin' times and I think I may have twisted my ankle. That's better?" She started walking towards the door.
"It takes some time," Clark said taking her arm suddenly, turning her around to face him, "By the end of the year I swear you'll be a pro. If not you can tar and feather me."
Her disbelieving gaze was replaced with a more comical one, she stared into his eyes.
**His beautiful hazel green eyes. **
He seemed to be doing the same but Jean didn't know for sure, she was too focused on the beauty that was Clark Kent.
"Clark!"
Martha was calling him.
Clark released her arm and they broke away from each other's gaze.
"I'd better go see what she wants."
"Um yeah," she coughed. "yeah."
Once she was sure Clark had left she walked over to Sunny's pen and stroked his mane.
**All he does is look you in the eye and you act like a giddy 1st grade girl, who gets worked up when she discovers that her parents bought her that Barbie Dreamhouse she wanted so much, for Christmas. Get a hold of yourself Jean. ** Jean mentally scolded herself. **You just want to be friends, and that's all. **
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Clark, there you are." Martha smiled when Clark walked in the front door.
"I need you to take this to Chuck Patterson," she said handing him a basket of produce, "I would take it myself, but I still haven't finished those pies for Lana....."
"Sure, mom." Clark said taking the produce from his mother, exiting the same way he had came in.
"Oh and Clark...."
"Yeah?"
"Be careful."
"I will." Clark smiled and walked out of the door. **Do all mothers worry this much? **
He carefully put the basket into the back of the pickup that was parked in the driveway and drove off.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
**Forty five twenty two, this should be it. ** Clark thought to himself.
He pulled the truck into the driveway and got out hesitantly. ** Something is definitely wrong. ** The house just didn't seem right, for one thing Lucky, Patterson's Golden Retriever, wasn't barking like she usually would whenever visitors arrived at the farm.
Clark collected the produce and walked up to the front door, he knocked forcefully.
No answer, he waited and tried again. Still no answer.
He cautiously attempted to put the crate down by the door.
**That's odd, Chuck's always home. **
Focusing, he peered inside the house using his x-ray vision, scanning the corridors and rooms quickly.
**What's that? **
The outline of a skeleton was slumped over on a chair; the figure wasn't moving or breathing. It's heart and blood were black, signifying that whatever, or whoever it was had died a while ago.
Clark instantly kicked down the front door and ran to the figure "seated" on the chair.
Chuck Patterson was dead.
Clark could only stare at horrifying and sickening sight.
"HA- HA- HA." Was spray-painted in Candy Apple red all over the walls in the house.
Clark looked around once more but turned and ran away from the house, not looking back.
********************************************************************* TBC