Abaris' Arrow
by linda-seton
Alone in the dark office of The Torch, Chloe navigates from the printer to the computer by the light of the monitor. She scans through her newly printed pages -- the emails between Chloe and Nixon's ex-wife - and then slides them into a manila envelope. She checks to make sure the emails are deleted from the computer system and then she puts her head down on the desk.
There's the sound of footsteps and she straightens. She hides the envelope in her bag and turns off the monitor.
Clark Kent steps into the dark office and softly calls out, "Chloe?"
"I'm here."
Clark switches on the lights and Chloe almost shouts at him. "Turn those off."
Clark obeys and stands against the door. "Chloe?"
She turns the computer monitor on and it throws a strange glowing light across her face.
"Is something wrong?" Clark asks.
"Just a little paranoid." She snuffles.
"Have you been crying?"
She does not answer and Clark eases over to the desk. He sits across from her. "You wanted to talk about the tapes?"
"I'm so stupid, Clark. You have to believe me that when I started investigating Nixon I never knew where it would lead."
"It's alright, Chloe."
"No, it's pretty far from anything remotely resembling alright. I'm afraid."
Clark leans closer. "No one is going to hurt you."
Chloe staggers to her feet and away from Clark. She is crying and doesn't want him to see.
Clark assumes that she is afraid of him and sits back in his chair.
Chloe sniffs. "I just can't shake the idea that I'm going to be walking along and suddenly I'm dead. Did you know that you can bleed to death in a matter of seconds if someone even nicks your liver?"
"Chloe! He'd never do that!" Clark offers with a fair amount of certainty. His father would never stab anyone.
"You know him better than I do Clark. What should I do?" Chloe asks the question even though she knows Clark's view of Lex is more than a little biased.
"You're fine. It's just the tapes..."
"The tapes. I don't know what to do with them. I just want to destroy them."
Clark exhales a little. "You don't want to go to the newspapers?"
Chloe fights to focus. "What, The Inquisitor? A real newspaper wouldn't touch this stuff."
"You think so?"
"This is strictly tabloid fare, Clark."
Clark looks a little hurt. He had always believed that being an alien from another planet would merit front-page coverage in every paper. He smiles. Actually it is kind of a relief to find out Chloe doesn't think it is a big deal. "I'm sorry Chloe that I didn't tell you sooner."
"You knew about the tapes?"
Clark nods.
"So, he knows too? That Nixon had the tapes?"
"Yes."
"Then, Clark, the only thing I can do is give the tapes to Lex."
"What?" Clark is on his feet. He bumps the desk hard as he rushes over to Chloe. "You can't!"
"Do you want to talk to him first?" Chloe takes a breath and suddenly feels calm. A decision has been made. Chloe realizes that if Clark already knows about Lex's psych tapes then he can broach the subject without too much difficulty.
"Ah..." Clark finally manages in response. He tries to think of a way to tell Lex that their entire friendship has been built around a lie. No, there's nothing special about Clark except, well, the superhuman speed and strength and the seeing through walls and...
Chloe snaps him out of his reverie with a voice bordering on happy. "It definitely would be better if you went to Lex about the tapes. It'd be less of a shock." She goes up on tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek.
Clark just stands there. He tilts his head to the side. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Earlier this evening I was ready to be certified by FEMA as a disaster area. Now, thanks to you, I'm back on track. Clark, I thought that finding out the truth in this case was going to hurt a lot of people. And maybe it still will. It's just that lying about this will only make it worse."
"Oh."
Chloe grabs her bag off the computer desk and backs toward the door. Clark stands rigidly still trying to process the information. "Are you okay, Clark?"
"I guess."
"Don't forget to talk to Lex. I'm going to try to see him tomorrow afternoon. And, Clark..."
"What?"
"Thanks for your help."
Chloe is out the door and a shocked Clark remains. He glances up at the wall clock and realizes he has been with Chloe all of twenty minutes.
"Dad!"
tbc
by linda-seton
Alone in the dark office of The Torch, Chloe navigates from the printer to the computer by the light of the monitor. She scans through her newly printed pages -- the emails between Chloe and Nixon's ex-wife - and then slides them into a manila envelope. She checks to make sure the emails are deleted from the computer system and then she puts her head down on the desk.
There's the sound of footsteps and she straightens. She hides the envelope in her bag and turns off the monitor.
Clark Kent steps into the dark office and softly calls out, "Chloe?"
"I'm here."
Clark switches on the lights and Chloe almost shouts at him. "Turn those off."
Clark obeys and stands against the door. "Chloe?"
She turns the computer monitor on and it throws a strange glowing light across her face.
"Is something wrong?" Clark asks.
"Just a little paranoid." She snuffles.
"Have you been crying?"
She does not answer and Clark eases over to the desk. He sits across from her. "You wanted to talk about the tapes?"
"I'm so stupid, Clark. You have to believe me that when I started investigating Nixon I never knew where it would lead."
"It's alright, Chloe."
"No, it's pretty far from anything remotely resembling alright. I'm afraid."
Clark leans closer. "No one is going to hurt you."
Chloe staggers to her feet and away from Clark. She is crying and doesn't want him to see.
Clark assumes that she is afraid of him and sits back in his chair.
Chloe sniffs. "I just can't shake the idea that I'm going to be walking along and suddenly I'm dead. Did you know that you can bleed to death in a matter of seconds if someone even nicks your liver?"
"Chloe! He'd never do that!" Clark offers with a fair amount of certainty. His father would never stab anyone.
"You know him better than I do Clark. What should I do?" Chloe asks the question even though she knows Clark's view of Lex is more than a little biased.
"You're fine. It's just the tapes..."
"The tapes. I don't know what to do with them. I just want to destroy them."
Clark exhales a little. "You don't want to go to the newspapers?"
Chloe fights to focus. "What, The Inquisitor? A real newspaper wouldn't touch this stuff."
"You think so?"
"This is strictly tabloid fare, Clark."
Clark looks a little hurt. He had always believed that being an alien from another planet would merit front-page coverage in every paper. He smiles. Actually it is kind of a relief to find out Chloe doesn't think it is a big deal. "I'm sorry Chloe that I didn't tell you sooner."
"You knew about the tapes?"
Clark nods.
"So, he knows too? That Nixon had the tapes?"
"Yes."
"Then, Clark, the only thing I can do is give the tapes to Lex."
"What?" Clark is on his feet. He bumps the desk hard as he rushes over to Chloe. "You can't!"
"Do you want to talk to him first?" Chloe takes a breath and suddenly feels calm. A decision has been made. Chloe realizes that if Clark already knows about Lex's psych tapes then he can broach the subject without too much difficulty.
"Ah..." Clark finally manages in response. He tries to think of a way to tell Lex that their entire friendship has been built around a lie. No, there's nothing special about Clark except, well, the superhuman speed and strength and the seeing through walls and...
Chloe snaps him out of his reverie with a voice bordering on happy. "It definitely would be better if you went to Lex about the tapes. It'd be less of a shock." She goes up on tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek.
Clark just stands there. He tilts his head to the side. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Earlier this evening I was ready to be certified by FEMA as a disaster area. Now, thanks to you, I'm back on track. Clark, I thought that finding out the truth in this case was going to hurt a lot of people. And maybe it still will. It's just that lying about this will only make it worse."
"Oh."
Chloe grabs her bag off the computer desk and backs toward the door. Clark stands rigidly still trying to process the information. "Are you okay, Clark?"
"I guess."
"Don't forget to talk to Lex. I'm going to try to see him tomorrow afternoon. And, Clark..."
"What?"
"Thanks for your help."
Chloe is out the door and a shocked Clark remains. He glances up at the wall clock and realizes he has been with Chloe all of twenty minutes.
"Dad!"
tbc