Disclaimer: ya'll know by now.
AN: I want to thank scifichick774 and her muse for such a fast response on what I should do with this chapter and my muse Trinity for giving me the strength to go on...;)and post more...
Chapter 6: Stuck between her rock and a hard place.
Chloe went through the day in a rush. She didn't feel like being around people and most of all wanted to go home and call Pete and thank him for making her life even more miserable.
At 3:30 she headed home, walking Marco at a quicker pace than normal. Anything to get the hell out of the public eye. Granted New Haven was a small town but the gossip there was neverending and she could already hear the rumors flying about her early visitor this morning.
She opened the door to her apartment and let out a huge sigh. Marco flopped himself down in the kitchen, feeling as though he'd been gypped out of a leisurely walk. Chloe looked at him and said "I promise I'll make it up to you, just let me make a quick call and we'll go back out." Marco's ear perked up and he cocked his head at her as if questioning her promises.
Chloe sat down at the kitchen table and pulled the phone along with its 8 mile cord to her. She tapped speed dial 1 and felt the energy surge through her as it rang on the other end. After 6 rings the answering machine picked up. 'Hi, it's Pete...And Keith, leave us message although we are probably here but don't want to talk to you.' Chloe seethed to yell and scream but when the tone hit she said in a remarkably calm voice, "Pete, I know you're there. Pick up the phone dammit, I'm not hanging up until you do....Don't make me sing, cuz I will...Okay, fine have it your way, 'Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue...and the dreams that you dare to dream...." She heard the phone pick up.
"Ivy, Pete's not here." the man on the other end was trying to stifle a sob but let it out in a loud snort in her ear. Chloe had given Pete the go sign to tell Keith she was okay. She knew by now that neither one of them would tell a soul, well, she thought that anyhow.
"Keith, what happened? What did he do now?" her tone changed into an empathetic one. Keith and Pete were a very happy couple but they tended to fight over the stupidest things and most of the time it was over Pete's jealous temper. 'That's love for ya I guess.'
"He, umm, god, Ive, I'm sorry, it's just that..." he broke into another sob, heavier.
"Babe, it's okay, slow down, breath, sweetie, in, out, in out."
She heard him breathing to her chant and rolled her eyes. 'Drama Queen.' she thought to herself but in a loving way.
"He's in ICU, Ive, he swerved trying not to hit a dog and ended up in the side of a brick building...Ive, I need you...now."
Chloe had a horrible visual running through her head. "Keith, it'll take me too long to get there. It's going to take me four hours to get there. I'll be there though."
"Thanks, Ivy, and Marco's coming too right?"
She knew Pete had probably told her whole life story to Keith, and Keith, well, he was dog-person. He had six pomeranians before Pete moved in and complained about them floating in the toilet all the time. I guess they were thirsty and would lean over too far to get the water. I told him that's what he got for leaving the seat up.
"Yeah, I'll bring Marco. I love you, Keith, I'll be there as soon as possible."
"I'll meet you at the hospital, just drop Marco off here first. He's on the fifth floor. East wing, Okay?"
"Got it. I'll be there soon."
"Drive carefully," she heard him choke back a sob, "I'll leave the key on top of the door frame."
She heard the dial tone and cried silently. She ran to her room and shoved a bunch on odds and ends in a bag and snatched up Marco's leash. "Come on boy, let's go."
She locked up behind her and jumped in the car making sure the window was rolled down enough for Marco to drool all over the passenger side's exterior. When she reached the highway she had to pace herself. Getting caught speeding would be pretty stupid, how would she explain that one? 'Oh, yes, officer, I know the social security number says I'm dead...oops...'
*~*
When she reached the hospital after a quick pitstop at Keith's she ran up the stairs to the fifth floor not bothering with the elevator. She checked her watch. 8 pm exactly. Visitors hours would be over in an hour. She ran down the hall sliding into a wall when she skidded around a corner. 'Note to self, buy new tennis shoes with good tread.'
She spotted Keith at the entrance of the fifth floor lobby. She immediately ran to him panting as she flung herself into his arms. "Where, is, he, he, o, kay?"
Keith held onto her, "I think so, he has some internal bleeding, but that's all there telling me, and a mild concussion."
Keith's eyes were rimmed in blood red, his hazel eyes standing out against all his features. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Can he have visitors?"
"Are you kidding me? Lex paid a nice little wad of cash for him to be alone in his own room."
She smiled in spite of herself. She knew he would take care of them. "Is he here?"
"Said he'd be back tomorrow. Why?"
The last person she wanted to see was Lex after how she'd behaved. No matter how much she told herself he deserved it, she knew she had acted immaturely. Chloe Sullivan, woman with an alias, acting childish? Never...
She made herself comfortable in a chair across from Pete's bed. His head bandaged and the red discoloration seeping through. She shut her eyes trying to force the image from behind her eyelids. And felt herself drift off to sleep.
AN: I want to thank scifichick774 and her muse for such a fast response on what I should do with this chapter and my muse Trinity for giving me the strength to go on...;)and post more...
Chapter 6: Stuck between her rock and a hard place.
Chloe went through the day in a rush. She didn't feel like being around people and most of all wanted to go home and call Pete and thank him for making her life even more miserable.
At 3:30 she headed home, walking Marco at a quicker pace than normal. Anything to get the hell out of the public eye. Granted New Haven was a small town but the gossip there was neverending and she could already hear the rumors flying about her early visitor this morning.
She opened the door to her apartment and let out a huge sigh. Marco flopped himself down in the kitchen, feeling as though he'd been gypped out of a leisurely walk. Chloe looked at him and said "I promise I'll make it up to you, just let me make a quick call and we'll go back out." Marco's ear perked up and he cocked his head at her as if questioning her promises.
Chloe sat down at the kitchen table and pulled the phone along with its 8 mile cord to her. She tapped speed dial 1 and felt the energy surge through her as it rang on the other end. After 6 rings the answering machine picked up. 'Hi, it's Pete...And Keith, leave us message although we are probably here but don't want to talk to you.' Chloe seethed to yell and scream but when the tone hit she said in a remarkably calm voice, "Pete, I know you're there. Pick up the phone dammit, I'm not hanging up until you do....Don't make me sing, cuz I will...Okay, fine have it your way, 'Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue...and the dreams that you dare to dream...." She heard the phone pick up.
"Ivy, Pete's not here." the man on the other end was trying to stifle a sob but let it out in a loud snort in her ear. Chloe had given Pete the go sign to tell Keith she was okay. She knew by now that neither one of them would tell a soul, well, she thought that anyhow.
"Keith, what happened? What did he do now?" her tone changed into an empathetic one. Keith and Pete were a very happy couple but they tended to fight over the stupidest things and most of the time it was over Pete's jealous temper. 'That's love for ya I guess.'
"He, umm, god, Ive, I'm sorry, it's just that..." he broke into another sob, heavier.
"Babe, it's okay, slow down, breath, sweetie, in, out, in out."
She heard him breathing to her chant and rolled her eyes. 'Drama Queen.' she thought to herself but in a loving way.
"He's in ICU, Ive, he swerved trying not to hit a dog and ended up in the side of a brick building...Ive, I need you...now."
Chloe had a horrible visual running through her head. "Keith, it'll take me too long to get there. It's going to take me four hours to get there. I'll be there though."
"Thanks, Ivy, and Marco's coming too right?"
She knew Pete had probably told her whole life story to Keith, and Keith, well, he was dog-person. He had six pomeranians before Pete moved in and complained about them floating in the toilet all the time. I guess they were thirsty and would lean over too far to get the water. I told him that's what he got for leaving the seat up.
"Yeah, I'll bring Marco. I love you, Keith, I'll be there as soon as possible."
"I'll meet you at the hospital, just drop Marco off here first. He's on the fifth floor. East wing, Okay?"
"Got it. I'll be there soon."
"Drive carefully," she heard him choke back a sob, "I'll leave the key on top of the door frame."
She heard the dial tone and cried silently. She ran to her room and shoved a bunch on odds and ends in a bag and snatched up Marco's leash. "Come on boy, let's go."
She locked up behind her and jumped in the car making sure the window was rolled down enough for Marco to drool all over the passenger side's exterior. When she reached the highway she had to pace herself. Getting caught speeding would be pretty stupid, how would she explain that one? 'Oh, yes, officer, I know the social security number says I'm dead...oops...'
*~*
When she reached the hospital after a quick pitstop at Keith's she ran up the stairs to the fifth floor not bothering with the elevator. She checked her watch. 8 pm exactly. Visitors hours would be over in an hour. She ran down the hall sliding into a wall when she skidded around a corner. 'Note to self, buy new tennis shoes with good tread.'
She spotted Keith at the entrance of the fifth floor lobby. She immediately ran to him panting as she flung herself into his arms. "Where, is, he, he, o, kay?"
Keith held onto her, "I think so, he has some internal bleeding, but that's all there telling me, and a mild concussion."
Keith's eyes were rimmed in blood red, his hazel eyes standing out against all his features. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Can he have visitors?"
"Are you kidding me? Lex paid a nice little wad of cash for him to be alone in his own room."
She smiled in spite of herself. She knew he would take care of them. "Is he here?"
"Said he'd be back tomorrow. Why?"
The last person she wanted to see was Lex after how she'd behaved. No matter how much she told herself he deserved it, she knew she had acted immaturely. Chloe Sullivan, woman with an alias, acting childish? Never...
She made herself comfortable in a chair across from Pete's bed. His head bandaged and the red discoloration seeping through. She shut her eyes trying to force the image from behind her eyelids. And felt herself drift off to sleep.
