"Chloe!"
The petite blonde turned at the sound of Clark Kent's voice calling her name and she raised an
intrigued eyebrow when she saw a girl hurrying to keep up with his longer strides.
"Hey Clark!" She smiled brightly as the duo stopped before her, trying very hard not to be too
obvious with her curiosity. Clark had that look in his eye. "Where've you been? You missed first
class."
"I was in the office with Becky, getting everything straightened out." He replied, staring at her
with a wide smile. He didn't notice how long he'd been staring until Rebecca gave him a sharp elbow
in the side, clearing her throat.
"Hey, Clark, mind coming back to Earth long enough to introduce me to your friend?" She asked
sweetly, a gleam of amusement in her eyes.
His cheeks colored and he looked over at his cousin. "Chloe Sullivan, this is my cousin, Rebecca
Lee. Beck just moved here from Gotham City."
"Oh, so *you're* the mystery girl." Chloe announced with a smile, turning to face Rebecca. "You've
set the social strata of Smallville High abuzz with speculation."
The other girl groaned and shook her head. "How bad?"
"Oh, I expect the blitzkrieg to start at lunch." The editor grinned. "If you need a place to
hideout, I can offer the Torch's office for shelter."
"Thank you!" Rebecca replied gratefully. "I honestly didn't think anyone would be this interested."
"Are you kidding me?" Chloe slipped an arm through her new friend's and began to lead her off,
Clark naturally falling into step behind them. "New girl moves from big, bad Gotham City to
innocent, little Smallville? Definitely big news."
"Oh god." Becky replied with a sigh. "Any way to avoid it?"
"No, not really." The other girl replied unsympathetically. "But don't worry, it passes fast." She
grinned. "That's the best thing about Smallville, there's always something waiting around the
corner."
—
Rebecca's first day at Smallville High was relatively uneventful, largely due to the efforts of
one Chloe Sullivan. The newest addition to the school was quite relieved to discover that she and
her newfound friend shared the majority of their classes, a fact that aided Chloe in protecting
Becky from the 'popular' girls - aka the Smallville vultures - and giving the duo a chance to share
life histories.
By fourth period English, the two had discovered a love of obscure facts, the unknown, and
mysteries. Chloe also had decided that it was incredibly interesting how members of Clark's family
seemed to befriend angst-ridden young billionaires, much to Rebecca's amusement.
And by the time Clark and Rebecca stepped down out of the bus, he was mentally singing Chloe's
praises. The results of her few hours with his cousin had brought out more signs of the old Becky
than he could have hoped for.
What he hadn't counted on was the sly look of amusement Becky gave him as they ambled down the road,
heading for the driveway. "So...*that* is the infamous Miss Sullivan, huh?"
"Yeah, that's Chloe." Clark glanced over to see the smirk settle down. "What's that look for?"
"Oh...I dunno..." She grinned. "The fact that you totally have a thing for her and seem completely
unaware of it."
"I do not!" He protested with a laugh. "Where'd you get that idea?"
Rebecca pivoted and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know. How about the fact every time you see her
you get this 'look' in your eyes and you forget other people are around." She saw him starting to
shake his head and held up a hand to forestall any comments. "You do too Clark, you did it to me
three or four times today *plus* I caught you staring at her a few times when you thought no one
was looking. Face it cousin of mine, you've got a thing for our intrepid reporter friend."
Clark looked into her face and her smile and laughed. "Ok...so maybe there is *something*." He
admitted with a shrug. "But...I..." He shook his head. "I'm not sure if I want to take the risk and
cross that line. Once you do, there's no way to go back."
"No, there isn't." She agreed. "But how do you know it won't be worth it? You can't go through life
without taking risks, Clark. Especially not when it means love." She sighed. "I mean, my parents
didn't work out, but look at yours. They're incredibly happy. You know that it's worth it when you
look at them." She dropped her gaze momentarily and sucked in a steadying breath. "I'm sorry, Clark,
I..." She shook her head, turned on her heel, and hurried up the driveway.
"Rebecca! Wait!" Breaking into a jog, he soon caught up to her. "Beck?"
She looked up, tears streaming down her face. "I can't deal with this right now, Clark. I'm sorry!"
Pulling free of his grip, she raced into the barn.
"Clark?" Turning, the teen saw his father standing next to the truck.
He shook his head. "Let me handle this, Dad."
Jonathan frowned, concerned, but the expression on his son's face spoke volumes. Rebecca and Clark
had always been very close and he suspected that with all going on with his niece, his son was about
the only person she trusted. At least, the only one she trusted still within her reach and - quite
possibly - the only one who could help.
----
Rebecca was sobbing on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs and her face hidden
against them, when he found her.
"Beck?"
"Go away." She mumbled, her voice muffled against her jeans. "Please, Clark, just go away."
"I can't, Becky, you know that." He sat down next to her, reaching out to tug her into his arms.
"I'm sorry..."
At the careful embrace, she began to cry in earnest, hiding her face against his jacket.
Agonized, Clark held her like he would a fine china doll, unsure of what to do or say. All he could
think was to hold her, let her cry it out. There was nothing else that he could do. He couldn't
bring her parents back together. As many powerful gifts as he had, he couldn't do that. The one
thing he truly wanted to do, he couldn't.
"It's my fault."
He wasn't sure she'd spoken at first, the words were muffled and hard to make out but when she
repeated it, he frowned in concern and pulled away enough to look at her. "What is?"
"The divorce. It's my fault." She'd promised her mother she'd never tell anyone but she just couldn't
hold it in anymore. It was literally tearing her up inside. "I'm the reason they split up."
"Why?" Clark stared at her in utter bewilderment. "How could you be responsible for your parents
divorce?"
Removing her necklace, Rebecca placed it in his hands. "Believe in life on other planets, Clark?"
----
He was numb. Honest to god numb. There was no way he'd heard what he'd just thought he'd heard.
She hadn't just told him...
Sneaking a glance in her direction confirmed it. She had.
Becky was watching him with terrified eyes, clearly unsure of his reaction or whether or not she
should even stay.
He sucked in a steadying breath. "Beck, you have to talk to Mom and Dad."
She shook her head violently. "No! I can't! Clark, don't you get it, I swore to my mother I'd never
tell anyone about this and here I am, breaking that." She grabbed his hand. "I can't..."
Sensing she was building to a very long plea, he gripped her hand and forced her to look at him.
"Rebecca, you don't understand...There's something you need to know."
TBC
The petite blonde turned at the sound of Clark Kent's voice calling her name and she raised an
intrigued eyebrow when she saw a girl hurrying to keep up with his longer strides.
"Hey Clark!" She smiled brightly as the duo stopped before her, trying very hard not to be too
obvious with her curiosity. Clark had that look in his eye. "Where've you been? You missed first
class."
"I was in the office with Becky, getting everything straightened out." He replied, staring at her
with a wide smile. He didn't notice how long he'd been staring until Rebecca gave him a sharp elbow
in the side, clearing her throat.
"Hey, Clark, mind coming back to Earth long enough to introduce me to your friend?" She asked
sweetly, a gleam of amusement in her eyes.
His cheeks colored and he looked over at his cousin. "Chloe Sullivan, this is my cousin, Rebecca
Lee. Beck just moved here from Gotham City."
"Oh, so *you're* the mystery girl." Chloe announced with a smile, turning to face Rebecca. "You've
set the social strata of Smallville High abuzz with speculation."
The other girl groaned and shook her head. "How bad?"
"Oh, I expect the blitzkrieg to start at lunch." The editor grinned. "If you need a place to
hideout, I can offer the Torch's office for shelter."
"Thank you!" Rebecca replied gratefully. "I honestly didn't think anyone would be this interested."
"Are you kidding me?" Chloe slipped an arm through her new friend's and began to lead her off,
Clark naturally falling into step behind them. "New girl moves from big, bad Gotham City to
innocent, little Smallville? Definitely big news."
"Oh god." Becky replied with a sigh. "Any way to avoid it?"
"No, not really." The other girl replied unsympathetically. "But don't worry, it passes fast." She
grinned. "That's the best thing about Smallville, there's always something waiting around the
corner."
—
Rebecca's first day at Smallville High was relatively uneventful, largely due to the efforts of
one Chloe Sullivan. The newest addition to the school was quite relieved to discover that she and
her newfound friend shared the majority of their classes, a fact that aided Chloe in protecting
Becky from the 'popular' girls - aka the Smallville vultures - and giving the duo a chance to share
life histories.
By fourth period English, the two had discovered a love of obscure facts, the unknown, and
mysteries. Chloe also had decided that it was incredibly interesting how members of Clark's family
seemed to befriend angst-ridden young billionaires, much to Rebecca's amusement.
And by the time Clark and Rebecca stepped down out of the bus, he was mentally singing Chloe's
praises. The results of her few hours with his cousin had brought out more signs of the old Becky
than he could have hoped for.
What he hadn't counted on was the sly look of amusement Becky gave him as they ambled down the road,
heading for the driveway. "So...*that* is the infamous Miss Sullivan, huh?"
"Yeah, that's Chloe." Clark glanced over to see the smirk settle down. "What's that look for?"
"Oh...I dunno..." She grinned. "The fact that you totally have a thing for her and seem completely
unaware of it."
"I do not!" He protested with a laugh. "Where'd you get that idea?"
Rebecca pivoted and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I don't know. How about the fact every time you see her
you get this 'look' in your eyes and you forget other people are around." She saw him starting to
shake his head and held up a hand to forestall any comments. "You do too Clark, you did it to me
three or four times today *plus* I caught you staring at her a few times when you thought no one
was looking. Face it cousin of mine, you've got a thing for our intrepid reporter friend."
Clark looked into her face and her smile and laughed. "Ok...so maybe there is *something*." He
admitted with a shrug. "But...I..." He shook his head. "I'm not sure if I want to take the risk and
cross that line. Once you do, there's no way to go back."
"No, there isn't." She agreed. "But how do you know it won't be worth it? You can't go through life
without taking risks, Clark. Especially not when it means love." She sighed. "I mean, my parents
didn't work out, but look at yours. They're incredibly happy. You know that it's worth it when you
look at them." She dropped her gaze momentarily and sucked in a steadying breath. "I'm sorry, Clark,
I..." She shook her head, turned on her heel, and hurried up the driveway.
"Rebecca! Wait!" Breaking into a jog, he soon caught up to her. "Beck?"
She looked up, tears streaming down her face. "I can't deal with this right now, Clark. I'm sorry!"
Pulling free of his grip, she raced into the barn.
"Clark?" Turning, the teen saw his father standing next to the truck.
He shook his head. "Let me handle this, Dad."
Jonathan frowned, concerned, but the expression on his son's face spoke volumes. Rebecca and Clark
had always been very close and he suspected that with all going on with his niece, his son was about
the only person she trusted. At least, the only one she trusted still within her reach and - quite
possibly - the only one who could help.
----
Rebecca was sobbing on the couch, her arms wrapped tightly around her legs and her face hidden
against them, when he found her.
"Beck?"
"Go away." She mumbled, her voice muffled against her jeans. "Please, Clark, just go away."
"I can't, Becky, you know that." He sat down next to her, reaching out to tug her into his arms.
"I'm sorry..."
At the careful embrace, she began to cry in earnest, hiding her face against his jacket.
Agonized, Clark held her like he would a fine china doll, unsure of what to do or say. All he could
think was to hold her, let her cry it out. There was nothing else that he could do. He couldn't
bring her parents back together. As many powerful gifts as he had, he couldn't do that. The one
thing he truly wanted to do, he couldn't.
"It's my fault."
He wasn't sure she'd spoken at first, the words were muffled and hard to make out but when she
repeated it, he frowned in concern and pulled away enough to look at her. "What is?"
"The divorce. It's my fault." She'd promised her mother she'd never tell anyone but she just couldn't
hold it in anymore. It was literally tearing her up inside. "I'm the reason they split up."
"Why?" Clark stared at her in utter bewilderment. "How could you be responsible for your parents
divorce?"
Removing her necklace, Rebecca placed it in his hands. "Believe in life on other planets, Clark?"
----
He was numb. Honest to god numb. There was no way he'd heard what he'd just thought he'd heard.
She hadn't just told him...
Sneaking a glance in her direction confirmed it. She had.
Becky was watching him with terrified eyes, clearly unsure of his reaction or whether or not she
should even stay.
He sucked in a steadying breath. "Beck, you have to talk to Mom and Dad."
She shook her head violently. "No! I can't! Clark, don't you get it, I swore to my mother I'd never
tell anyone about this and here I am, breaking that." She grabbed his hand. "I can't..."
Sensing she was building to a very long plea, he gripped her hand and forced her to look at him.
"Rebecca, you don't understand...There's something you need to know."
TBC