12. Clark or the Fooling of Chloe Sullivan
He was waiting for her in the park. She had told him that she was a freelance photographer who had photos for him to see. He knew that she hated lying before she had died, and wondered how much damage had been done to her to make her lie so constantly.
Lois had been out of the office after her interview with the soon to be Mrs. Lex Luthor. She had told Clark that it had been another crazy, who just wanted her money. Clark knew though. He sucked at lying, and hoped that Lois' keen senses hadn't caught on to his little 'tells'. The awkward farm boy was now gone, but he was still wary of the city life, since his little run in with the Metropolis Police Department during the summer of Kal.
Then he saw her. Her walk was not as confident as he was used to seeing it be. There was a slight slouch of her shoulders.
Lex was right.
She was changed.
Clark watched his old friend suspiciously. Studying her every movement. The way her brown ponytail hung just below her shoulders. There were strands loose, as if she had walked to the park. Her hair had gotten long since he had seen her last. But she was still Chloe. She was still beautiful. Gone were the mixed outfits, of bright colours and tailored suits. She was a more polished girl - woman. They were grown ups now, Clark had to remember.
They had graduated. Well, he had graduated. Alone. All his friends were gone. Now he was slowly trying to bring them back. The news of Chloe and Gabe's death had brought Lana back for the funeral with her new boy-toy Jason. Pete had come back to Kansas for the funeral, and stayed to work on "Rebuilding the Ross empire." Clark had laughed when he had said that, but he was reviving the Ross Cream Corn Company. RCCC was being rebuilt with the help of his uncles and brothers. As well as a hefty loan from the bank. Chloe was the last one to be brought back.
"Clark Kent I presume?" She lied. Chloe knew him, and she easily lied to his face. Clark sighed as he stood to shake the hand of a friend he had thought he had lost. It was time to see if Clark Kent had any true colours other than red, blue and yellow.
It was time for him to face the music and give the best damned performance of his life.
The fooling of Chloe Sullivan.
She watched him rise. She had forgotten how tall he was. He towered before her both physically and mentally. She had to lie to get here. Only the truth could bring her out of the lies barricading her in place.
He shook her hand. 'Clark, you still shake hands like a wuss.' She wanted to say it, but she knew that she couldn't. Not yet anyway.
"You presume right. You said you had some pictures you wanted me to see, Miss - I'm sorry I can't think of your name."
"I didn't say it. Sullivan. Chloe Sullivan." She said. There, the gate was open. There were pigs running out of the pig pen and into the house. She was waking another sleeping dog. There was going to be hell to pay now.
"Chloe." He squeaked. 'Yep. Same old Clark.' She nodded. "Your dead." He said looking at her as if she had just told him the sky was purple, and the grass was red.
"Sometimes I think it would be easier if I was, Clark." She said taking a deep breath. "I didn't die in the explosion." She had said it. He wasn't looking at her in the same disbelieving look that Lois was. But this is Clark Kent. He's different. Special. A mind alien to the world of Chloe Sullivan, no matter how jaded it could get.
"Apparently so." He said still looking at her strangely. Then he did something that she wasn't expecting. He hugged her. This was dangerous territory. Only Lex had hugged her since - since she couldn't remember when. Bruce only wanted her body, he didn't care that she desperately needed somebody to hold her. But she hugged Clark back. She missed him. Tears began raining on his jacket. 'At least it isn't plaid.' She thought absently.
He watched her hug him. It was painful for him to see that. She was his, but this was a part of her healing. She had to heal to be as good as new. But it still hurt him. He hadn't felt hurt like this in a long time. Not since Julian was born and his father treated the baby like a God.
'Your mother fixed that for good hadn't she?' A snide voice said in his head. He recognized it as his father's.
He drove back to the penthouse eagerly awaiting her arrival. Eager to see the smile on her face when she told him the day's events. He wanted to see if her eyes lit up. Today was a good day to be Chloe Sullivan. Lex just hoped that they would all be good days from here on in. He knew that if he began to do anything resembling hoping, his father would do something to screw it all up. He hoped this would be out of his father's range now that Superman was involved.
He was waiting for her in the park. She had told him that she was a freelance photographer who had photos for him to see. He knew that she hated lying before she had died, and wondered how much damage had been done to her to make her lie so constantly.
Lois had been out of the office after her interview with the soon to be Mrs. Lex Luthor. She had told Clark that it had been another crazy, who just wanted her money. Clark knew though. He sucked at lying, and hoped that Lois' keen senses hadn't caught on to his little 'tells'. The awkward farm boy was now gone, but he was still wary of the city life, since his little run in with the Metropolis Police Department during the summer of Kal.
Then he saw her. Her walk was not as confident as he was used to seeing it be. There was a slight slouch of her shoulders.
Lex was right.
She was changed.
Clark watched his old friend suspiciously. Studying her every movement. The way her brown ponytail hung just below her shoulders. There were strands loose, as if she had walked to the park. Her hair had gotten long since he had seen her last. But she was still Chloe. She was still beautiful. Gone were the mixed outfits, of bright colours and tailored suits. She was a more polished girl - woman. They were grown ups now, Clark had to remember.
They had graduated. Well, he had graduated. Alone. All his friends were gone. Now he was slowly trying to bring them back. The news of Chloe and Gabe's death had brought Lana back for the funeral with her new boy-toy Jason. Pete had come back to Kansas for the funeral, and stayed to work on "Rebuilding the Ross empire." Clark had laughed when he had said that, but he was reviving the Ross Cream Corn Company. RCCC was being rebuilt with the help of his uncles and brothers. As well as a hefty loan from the bank. Chloe was the last one to be brought back.
"Clark Kent I presume?" She lied. Chloe knew him, and she easily lied to his face. Clark sighed as he stood to shake the hand of a friend he had thought he had lost. It was time to see if Clark Kent had any true colours other than red, blue and yellow.
It was time for him to face the music and give the best damned performance of his life.
The fooling of Chloe Sullivan.
She watched him rise. She had forgotten how tall he was. He towered before her both physically and mentally. She had to lie to get here. Only the truth could bring her out of the lies barricading her in place.
He shook her hand. 'Clark, you still shake hands like a wuss.' She wanted to say it, but she knew that she couldn't. Not yet anyway.
"You presume right. You said you had some pictures you wanted me to see, Miss - I'm sorry I can't think of your name."
"I didn't say it. Sullivan. Chloe Sullivan." She said. There, the gate was open. There were pigs running out of the pig pen and into the house. She was waking another sleeping dog. There was going to be hell to pay now.
"Chloe." He squeaked. 'Yep. Same old Clark.' She nodded. "Your dead." He said looking at her as if she had just told him the sky was purple, and the grass was red.
"Sometimes I think it would be easier if I was, Clark." She said taking a deep breath. "I didn't die in the explosion." She had said it. He wasn't looking at her in the same disbelieving look that Lois was. But this is Clark Kent. He's different. Special. A mind alien to the world of Chloe Sullivan, no matter how jaded it could get.
"Apparently so." He said still looking at her strangely. Then he did something that she wasn't expecting. He hugged her. This was dangerous territory. Only Lex had hugged her since - since she couldn't remember when. Bruce only wanted her body, he didn't care that she desperately needed somebody to hold her. But she hugged Clark back. She missed him. Tears began raining on his jacket. 'At least it isn't plaid.' She thought absently.
He watched her hug him. It was painful for him to see that. She was his, but this was a part of her healing. She had to heal to be as good as new. But it still hurt him. He hadn't felt hurt like this in a long time. Not since Julian was born and his father treated the baby like a God.
'Your mother fixed that for good hadn't she?' A snide voice said in his head. He recognized it as his father's.
He drove back to the penthouse eagerly awaiting her arrival. Eager to see the smile on her face when she told him the day's events. He wanted to see if her eyes lit up. Today was a good day to be Chloe Sullivan. Lex just hoped that they would all be good days from here on in. He knew that if he began to do anything resembling hoping, his father would do something to screw it all up. He hoped this would be out of his father's range now that Superman was involved.