CHAPTER THIRTEEN
**Night of the reunion. Clark is getting ready at the Kent Farm and Chloe has already left.**
Clark was in the guest bedroom going through the suits that he had recently gone back Metropolis to get, trying to find the most suitable one for the evening. It was the night of the reunion and he wanted to make a lasting impression, mostly on Chloe.
He heard a faint knocking on the door and opened it to find Lee standing there, dressed in a blue shirt and a brown skirt. She wore white tennis shoes with blue socks and her hair was braided with a blue ribbon tying the ends.
"And where are you going tonight so dressed up?" Clark asked.
"Dinner with Auntie Martha. Since all the grown-ups are going out and Uncle Jonathan doesn't feel so good, she's taking me out for pizza," Lee said proudly.
"Save some for me."
"Okay. You're not dressed," Lee said, indicating just the dress pants and undershirt Clark was wearing.
"I don't know what to wear."
Lee pushed past him and over to where the suits were sprawled out on the bed. She folded her arms across her chest and surveyed the choices. Finally, after a few minutes, Lee picked out a black sports jacket, blue dress shirt, and a red and blue striped tie.
"There you go. Auntie Lana told me that mommy always liked you in those colors."
"And why exactly would I care what--"
"Clark, I'm five, not dumb."
"Lee! Lee, it's time to go!" Martha's voice called.
"Coming! Have fun Clark," Lee said. With that, Lee was out there and Clark was left there alone.
()()()()()()()()()()
Chloe was standing on the second to the top rung of the ladder, stringing up the lights on the beams of the gymnasium. The streamers were hung, the food was all set on the tables close to the wall, and outside the lists of people and labels with pens were set on tables.
Everything was set.
She climbed down the ladder and stood back to examine her handiwork. For someone who had never been on the dance committee, the gym looked pretty good. Now, all she had to do was get ready for it.
Chloe went into the girl's locker room and changed out of her grungy jeans and sweater. She slipped on a burgundy tank top that had thin straps and a matching button down cardigan. After that she put on a long black skirt that had a slit in the back so she could walk. She put on a pair of black heels and pulled her shoulder-length out of the clip. Running her fingers through it a few times, she left it down and did her make up. She put on pale gray eye shadow and frosty pink lipstick, foundation and black mascara. She went back to her things and stuffed them into a locker.
She exited the locker room, only to run into Lana and Pete. She stepped back and looked at them. Lana's long hair was tied back away from her face and she wore a sky blue sweater and a long gray skirt with matching heels. Pete was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and green tie. Both looked ecstatically happy and in love. They always looked that way, so much that it made Chloe's heart ache at times when they made her think of Jay.
"What are you guys doing here? The reunion doesn't start for another hour," Chloe said, giving them short hugs.
"Well, we wanted to come early to catch up on the old times," Pete said.
"Is Clark coming?" Lana asked.
"Oh, yeah, he should be."
"Hey guys," Clark said from behind them.
"Clark!" Lana squealed, flinging her arms around his neck. Clark reciprocated the hug for a second or two and then let go.
"Hey, Clark, long time no see," Pete greeted him as they shook hands.
"Since we still have about an hour since I have to be there, I would like for you all to join me in the Torch office. It's been a decade since we were all in there together," Chloe said.
They followed her into the office and Clark was in awe. The wall that had once held everything about the weird happenings of Smallville now held everything that pertained to Superman, everything that pertained to him. There was even all of his articles from the college newspaper and some that had been written by Chloe.
"It's really something, isn't it?" Pete said, coming up behind him.
"Yeah, how did she?"
"How did she get all the articles that you wrote in college?"
"Yeah."
"Your parents. Didn't you ever find it weird when they always asked for you to send them two copies of your college newspaper?" Pete asked.
"Yeah, but I thought that both of them wanted their own," Clark said, "and what happened to the Wall of Weird?"
"It's folded in a shoebox under my bed. I came back here and for some reason, I just didn't feel like the Wall of Weird was my entire world. So, I took it down and started up a new wall," Chloe explained. "This one means a heck of a lot more to me than the other one did."
"Thank you," Clark whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"No problem," she breathed. They stared longingly into each other's eyes, unspoken words drifting between them, until Pete cleared his throat. Chloe and Clark pulled apart reluctantly and sat down on chairs facing Lana and Pete.
"Chloe, Lana and I have been meaning to ask you what Lee would think of having a little cousin to look after and play with," Pete stated, his hands wrapped around Lana's.
"You're pregnant? Oh my god, why didn't you tell me? You have to come home with me to tell Lee tonight," Chloe squealed, jumping up and enveloping her best friends in a hug.
"Congratulations, man," Clark said, shaking Pete's hand and then hugging Lana. He may have been smiling on the outside but inside he was crushed. Everyone he knew had a family but him. He did have one awhile back, but Lois had died and he was alone again. That aspect of his life hadn't quite changed in ten years. Sure, Chloe's fiancé had died before they were technically a family, but she had Lee, his parents and his friends to be her family now. He wished he could be part of that but he wasn't sure any of them were ready just yet.
He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard Chloe ask, "Does this mean you two have finally decided a date for the wedding?"
"Yep, a month from today. I was wondering if you'd be my maid of honor and Lee would be the flower girl. I also need you to be the godmother of my child," Lana answered.
"Of course I'll do it. I'm pretty sure Lee will do it too. She likes to have the feeling of being special," Chloe accepted.
"Clark, are you going to be here next month?" Pete asked.
"I should be."
"Be my best man and godfather?"
"I'd like that."
Chloe checked the time and saw that she had five minutes to get to the gym. Quietly, as to not to disturb Lana and Pete's excited conversation about next month, she slipped out of the Torch office and towards the gym. Clark saw this and followed her out.
"Chloe!" he called, his voice echoing slightly in the empty halls.
She whirled around and faced him. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing, just wondering why you didn't stay while they were planning the wedding," Clark shrugged.
"I have to get everything in order for the reunion."
"And?"
"And, it's hard you know? Every time I hear that someone's getting married or planning on it, it hurts. It hurts so badly because that should be me getting married and I know it never will be," Chloe said, her emotions uncovered.
"Come on, Chlo, you don't know that. One day some guy is just going sweep you off your feet and you'll be married within a year," Clark said, trying to soothe his friend.
Chloe laughed bitterly. "Clark, I'm a single mother who teaches journalism in a little town where everyone's either married, engaged, dating, or not my age. Face it, my daughter will be married before I even meet the right guy," Chloe said.
"Chloe--"
"Clark, I used to dream that it was all a nightmare. That Jay had never really died and the police had just mistaken it for him when it was really some guy who looked like him. I used to dream that Jay would come home with flowers and a new notebook for me like he used to. I used to dream that we'd sit down to our favorite dinner and I'd tell him that we were going to have an addition to our family that we didn't count on having for a few years. Then I'd wake up while it was still dark in the coldest sweat I've ever had. Clark, when Jay died.when he died it was like the piece of my heart that believed in romance and true love had died and gotten buried along with him," Chloe said, blinking back tears.
"You don't think I like felt that when Lois died too? I did and I still do. But that was just the piece of my heart that belonged to her. I have another piece of my heart that I'm ready to give to anyone who'll accept it. And I think I've found her. If only she'd let me in," Clark said.
Chloe looked up at him with wide eyes. She shook her head and backed away from him towards the gym. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, turning and fleeing.
Clark shook his head and just let her go. One day she'd be ready, just not the day that he had hoped.
**Night of the reunion. Clark is getting ready at the Kent Farm and Chloe has already left.**
Clark was in the guest bedroom going through the suits that he had recently gone back Metropolis to get, trying to find the most suitable one for the evening. It was the night of the reunion and he wanted to make a lasting impression, mostly on Chloe.
He heard a faint knocking on the door and opened it to find Lee standing there, dressed in a blue shirt and a brown skirt. She wore white tennis shoes with blue socks and her hair was braided with a blue ribbon tying the ends.
"And where are you going tonight so dressed up?" Clark asked.
"Dinner with Auntie Martha. Since all the grown-ups are going out and Uncle Jonathan doesn't feel so good, she's taking me out for pizza," Lee said proudly.
"Save some for me."
"Okay. You're not dressed," Lee said, indicating just the dress pants and undershirt Clark was wearing.
"I don't know what to wear."
Lee pushed past him and over to where the suits were sprawled out on the bed. She folded her arms across her chest and surveyed the choices. Finally, after a few minutes, Lee picked out a black sports jacket, blue dress shirt, and a red and blue striped tie.
"There you go. Auntie Lana told me that mommy always liked you in those colors."
"And why exactly would I care what--"
"Clark, I'm five, not dumb."
"Lee! Lee, it's time to go!" Martha's voice called.
"Coming! Have fun Clark," Lee said. With that, Lee was out there and Clark was left there alone.
()()()()()()()()()()
Chloe was standing on the second to the top rung of the ladder, stringing up the lights on the beams of the gymnasium. The streamers were hung, the food was all set on the tables close to the wall, and outside the lists of people and labels with pens were set on tables.
Everything was set.
She climbed down the ladder and stood back to examine her handiwork. For someone who had never been on the dance committee, the gym looked pretty good. Now, all she had to do was get ready for it.
Chloe went into the girl's locker room and changed out of her grungy jeans and sweater. She slipped on a burgundy tank top that had thin straps and a matching button down cardigan. After that she put on a long black skirt that had a slit in the back so she could walk. She put on a pair of black heels and pulled her shoulder-length out of the clip. Running her fingers through it a few times, she left it down and did her make up. She put on pale gray eye shadow and frosty pink lipstick, foundation and black mascara. She went back to her things and stuffed them into a locker.
She exited the locker room, only to run into Lana and Pete. She stepped back and looked at them. Lana's long hair was tied back away from her face and she wore a sky blue sweater and a long gray skirt with matching heels. Pete was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and green tie. Both looked ecstatically happy and in love. They always looked that way, so much that it made Chloe's heart ache at times when they made her think of Jay.
"What are you guys doing here? The reunion doesn't start for another hour," Chloe said, giving them short hugs.
"Well, we wanted to come early to catch up on the old times," Pete said.
"Is Clark coming?" Lana asked.
"Oh, yeah, he should be."
"Hey guys," Clark said from behind them.
"Clark!" Lana squealed, flinging her arms around his neck. Clark reciprocated the hug for a second or two and then let go.
"Hey, Clark, long time no see," Pete greeted him as they shook hands.
"Since we still have about an hour since I have to be there, I would like for you all to join me in the Torch office. It's been a decade since we were all in there together," Chloe said.
They followed her into the office and Clark was in awe. The wall that had once held everything about the weird happenings of Smallville now held everything that pertained to Superman, everything that pertained to him. There was even all of his articles from the college newspaper and some that had been written by Chloe.
"It's really something, isn't it?" Pete said, coming up behind him.
"Yeah, how did she?"
"How did she get all the articles that you wrote in college?"
"Yeah."
"Your parents. Didn't you ever find it weird when they always asked for you to send them two copies of your college newspaper?" Pete asked.
"Yeah, but I thought that both of them wanted their own," Clark said, "and what happened to the Wall of Weird?"
"It's folded in a shoebox under my bed. I came back here and for some reason, I just didn't feel like the Wall of Weird was my entire world. So, I took it down and started up a new wall," Chloe explained. "This one means a heck of a lot more to me than the other one did."
"Thank you," Clark whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"No problem," she breathed. They stared longingly into each other's eyes, unspoken words drifting between them, until Pete cleared his throat. Chloe and Clark pulled apart reluctantly and sat down on chairs facing Lana and Pete.
"Chloe, Lana and I have been meaning to ask you what Lee would think of having a little cousin to look after and play with," Pete stated, his hands wrapped around Lana's.
"You're pregnant? Oh my god, why didn't you tell me? You have to come home with me to tell Lee tonight," Chloe squealed, jumping up and enveloping her best friends in a hug.
"Congratulations, man," Clark said, shaking Pete's hand and then hugging Lana. He may have been smiling on the outside but inside he was crushed. Everyone he knew had a family but him. He did have one awhile back, but Lois had died and he was alone again. That aspect of his life hadn't quite changed in ten years. Sure, Chloe's fiancé had died before they were technically a family, but she had Lee, his parents and his friends to be her family now. He wished he could be part of that but he wasn't sure any of them were ready just yet.
He was interrupted from his thoughts when he heard Chloe ask, "Does this mean you two have finally decided a date for the wedding?"
"Yep, a month from today. I was wondering if you'd be my maid of honor and Lee would be the flower girl. I also need you to be the godmother of my child," Lana answered.
"Of course I'll do it. I'm pretty sure Lee will do it too. She likes to have the feeling of being special," Chloe accepted.
"Clark, are you going to be here next month?" Pete asked.
"I should be."
"Be my best man and godfather?"
"I'd like that."
Chloe checked the time and saw that she had five minutes to get to the gym. Quietly, as to not to disturb Lana and Pete's excited conversation about next month, she slipped out of the Torch office and towards the gym. Clark saw this and followed her out.
"Chloe!" he called, his voice echoing slightly in the empty halls.
She whirled around and faced him. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing, just wondering why you didn't stay while they were planning the wedding," Clark shrugged.
"I have to get everything in order for the reunion."
"And?"
"And, it's hard you know? Every time I hear that someone's getting married or planning on it, it hurts. It hurts so badly because that should be me getting married and I know it never will be," Chloe said, her emotions uncovered.
"Come on, Chlo, you don't know that. One day some guy is just going sweep you off your feet and you'll be married within a year," Clark said, trying to soothe his friend.
Chloe laughed bitterly. "Clark, I'm a single mother who teaches journalism in a little town where everyone's either married, engaged, dating, or not my age. Face it, my daughter will be married before I even meet the right guy," Chloe said.
"Chloe--"
"Clark, I used to dream that it was all a nightmare. That Jay had never really died and the police had just mistaken it for him when it was really some guy who looked like him. I used to dream that Jay would come home with flowers and a new notebook for me like he used to. I used to dream that we'd sit down to our favorite dinner and I'd tell him that we were going to have an addition to our family that we didn't count on having for a few years. Then I'd wake up while it was still dark in the coldest sweat I've ever had. Clark, when Jay died.when he died it was like the piece of my heart that believed in romance and true love had died and gotten buried along with him," Chloe said, blinking back tears.
"You don't think I like felt that when Lois died too? I did and I still do. But that was just the piece of my heart that belonged to her. I have another piece of my heart that I'm ready to give to anyone who'll accept it. And I think I've found her. If only she'd let me in," Clark said.
Chloe looked up at him with wide eyes. She shook her head and backed away from him towards the gym. "I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, turning and fleeing.
Clark shook his head and just let her go. One day she'd be ready, just not the day that he had hoped.