Closer

Lex accepted a pen from the detective in charge and signed at the bottom of the page that he held out. "When can I take her home?" he asked the detective.

"As soon as she's finished giving her statement," the detective answered him. "We'll be in contact with you in a couple of days."

"All right, thank you," Lex shook his hand and allowed the detective to move on to his next eyewitness testimony. He sighed exhaustedly and looked over at the couch, where Chloe was talking to another detective. The sun was already halfway raised in the sky, and the Metropolis PD had already closed off the street around the building.

Jonathan and Martha Kent stood huddled in a corner with Clark, talking in whispered tones and shooting weary glances in Chloe's direction. Pete and Judge Ross sat quietly at the kitchen table, staring blankly at the broken window. The police had strung yellow tape across the frame of the window, and a strand across the door.

Lex wanted nothing more than to get out of there. Most days he missed living in the penthouse, but right now he was starting to think that he wouldn't mind not being here for a while. He was more concerned about Chloe though. She had shot and killed a man, something that he could actually identify with. Considering how awful someone like him felt afterwards, Chloe must be dying inside.

The detective that had been talking to her finally stood up. Lex watched anxiously as she nodded at something the man said and watched him walk away. Lex gave her a minute before he made his way over and joined her on the couch.

"Chloe," he greeted cautiously. She lifted her head off of the back of the couch and looked at him. Her eyes were red rimmed, making the green stand out in sharp contrast, and her skin was pale from where she'd scrubbed the blood off, taking off her make up as well. She'd changed out of her ruined shirt and into a sweater from his closet that was way too big for her.

"Hey," she leaned back again but this time kept her head turned in his direction. She pulled her feet up and tucked them underneath herself.

"How are you doing? You okay?" he felt stupid even asking, knowing that she couldn't possibly be.

She smiled sardonically at the question. "I'm tired," she confessed. "I want to leave."

"Are you done?" he asked her, referring to the detective that she'd just been talking to.

She shook her head. "He's just getting it typed up," she sighed and closed her eyes again. "Then I can sign it and get out of here."

"How long?"

"Twenty minutes maybe," she took a deep breath. "Lex?"

"Yes Chloe?" he knew what was coming. She opened her eyes again, looking panicked.

"That man...I-"she swallowed again painfully. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," he assured her quickly, totally confidant. "It was self defense Chloe. You won't get in trouble for that."

"Should I?" she asked him, paling even more. "Lex I killed him. He died because of me! Shouldn't I have to pay for that?"

"You already are Chloe," he told her sadly. "You'll remember it everyday, and that's more punishment than anyone could ever give you. And it's far more than you deserve."

She nodded and took another deep breath. "It's morning," she looked out of the remaining windows. "I didn't even realize...it still feels like Friday."

"Yes it does," he agreed, remembering suddenly that he hadn't slept yet.

"Oh," she turned to him apologetically. "I broke my cell phone."

He frowned. "What, again?"

"I guess I'll see you later," Pete shrugged and pulled Chloe into a tight hug.

"Guess so," she nodded, squeezing him tight before reluctantly releasing him.

"Be good," he joked weakly, none of them really feeling like laughing.

"You too," she returned. Pete clapped Clark on the back and shook hands with Lex. Then he and his mother walked out of the penthouse, and for the third time in as many months, she had to watch him leave.

Clark turned to her next. "Mom and Dad are ready to head home," he told her sheepishly. "It's been a long night."

"Thank you Clark," she told him sincerely, once again trying to shake away the strange thought that the first bullet should have hit her. It couldn't possibly be true, and even less likely was the thought that Clark had somehow prevented it.

"For what?" he shrugged modestly. "Anyone else would have done the same. I was just the closest."

"You caught me," she reminded him.

"I'll always catch you," he promised her. She broke down and threw her arms around him. He jugged her back tightly, running his hand through her hair once, before pulling reluctantly away. "I'll see you tomorrow."

She nodded and gave him a little wave, and then he was gone too. And then there was... "Ready to go?" Lex put his hand on her back, catching her attention.

"Yes," she nodded gratefully. "Just let me grab my purse."

He nodded and waited while she walked back over to the living room and bent down to gather up the items that had been spilled when the bag was dropped. She quickly collected her wallet, lipstick, and keys, but couldn't see her compact anywhere. "Where is—oh," she spotted it sitting halfway under the stool that the hit man had sat on. She suppressed the involuntary shudder that arose at the very thought, and crawled quickly over to the compact. She picked it up and dropped in into her purse. Just as she was climbing to her feet again, her eyes caught sight of something metallic on the floor.

Chloe wrinkled her brow and picked up the small metal object, looking intently at it while she stood up. "Did you find something?" Lex's voice startled her but she tried not to show it. She nodded and held her palm open for him to see.

They both peered down at it, and she knew that his mind was putting together the same pieces that hers was. Chloe bit her lip at the sight; the bullet rested harmlessly on her hand, it's end distorted as if it had been fired into a large steel wall instead of at her own vulnerable skin.

"Huh."

The End...

Next time on Smallville:

...Chloe walks into the barn confidently. "I know your secret Clark"...she pulls out a hand gun and fires off several shots...

...A pair of students dive out of the way...Chloe and Clark frown..."I think maybe I'd better talk to Lex about these guards"...

...Chloe reached out and tried the doorknob...locked..."What the"...

..."We're celebrating," Lex says...Chloe groaned miserably and tried to hold him up..."So Lex got drunk?"...

..."Cooper Harris," a cute blonde holds his hand out...."You're the new editor"...

..."What's wrong?"...Lex lowers his cell phone in shock and Chloe frowns...