Part 15

It was a nightmare filled with modern-day bathrooms, technological conveniences and familiar faces. Despite being lost in a time and world that was harsher and more dangerous than Oz, Chloe knew with conscious will in that dream that she did not want to be back in Smallville. Thus, upon wakening, as she felt firm hands turning her over and checking for life signs, her breath trembled upon her wet cold lips. If she woke and saw paramedics working on her, then she knew she would have lost.

'But you wanted to leave, Chlo,' she heard Clark's voice in her mind. 'We were going to look for a way to come home.'

She saw him, drenched to the bone, sitting upon the bank of the stream in Smallville, looking at her sadly.

'If you only stopped struggling against the water, Chloe, you could have been home now. Your dad misses you so much. Pete... Lana... Even Lex was asking about you. Why couldn't you just let go?'

And dumbfounded as she was, Chloe could think of no strong reason. She bit her lip and dragged her body from the stream. Chloe walked towards her best friend and embraced him tightly. In the months they were together in Mirkwood, Clark had done everything in his power to protect her and ease her pain. She was going to miss Clark, even as she fought against the insistent hands bringing her back to the waking world.

'You didn't want to go, did you?'

Chloe tightened her arms around Clark.

'Even when you said you'd had enough, you really wanted to stay there for him.'

'I'm crazy,' she finally breathed, close to his ear. 'That's what.'

'Chloe,' he answered patiently, 'I'm drifting between two worlds, and there's two hundred percent chance that we won't see each other again. Ever. I think you can take down your intimacy walls for the two seconds it would take you to admit the truth.'

She took a deep breath and pulled away from him so she could meet his gaze and wry smile. 'I don't wanna go home.'

Clark nodded. 'I wish I could have stayed longer, you know. To see this through.' He motioned to the swell of her belly. 'You'll get another protector. You bring it out of people.'

'That's Lana, Clark,' Chloe pointed out.

He shook his head and cupped her chin with his hand. 'You keep thinking that, Chloe. Maybe that place will teach you something else.' With a small bittersweet smile, Clark gently kissed her lips. Chloe's eyes drifted shut as she accepted the goodbye. 'Open your eyes now.'

"Open your eyes, lady."

When that voice finally pierced through the Clark and Smallville haze of her subconscious, Chloe felt the soreness of her thighs and arms. She opened her eyes and felt them burning, and could only see the shadow of the man kneeling above her.

Her initial reaction was to push away, but found no strength in her muscles to even roll herself to either side. Her limbs were useless, and Chloe hated it. She felt tears rolling down her temples as she tried to focus on the face above her.

"I understand if you feel too weak to move. My name is Theodred, prince of the Horsemasters." He turned to his side and motioned to one of his men. Soon, the prince was holding a water container to her lips. Chloe drank gingerly and felt the soothing effects down her throat. She flinched when she felt his palm warming her stomach. "What is your name?"

"Chloe," she responded.

"Where do you hail from? My men and I ride hard against the Uruk-hai, but we shall be honored to escort you to your village, lady."

She shook her head. "I don't have a village. I just... I'm going to be traveling. If you can give me flask of water and some bread, I can make my own way."

He helped her sit up. "There is no way my men and I will find honor in that. The men of Rohan shall never let a woman travel alone." He took her hand. "I see fear in your eyes. I recognize fear because I've seen it in so many. How did you end up in such dire straits?" He turned her hand over and frowned at the smoothness of the skin. "You are no village lass. Where are you heading?"

Chloe's eyes fully adjusted to the harsh light and drank in the sight of the young prince in front of her. He did not have the beauty of the Elves; no Man had that luxury. He had windblown dirty blonde hair and a shadow of a beard roughened his cheek. Youth and innocence still shone through the hard façade he used. "I have no home," she insisted.

Theodred nodded. "You shall travel with us then. We will take you to Rohan." He reached for her. Chloe's jaw dropped when Theodred easily lifted her up in his arms and eased her on his horse. He moved behind her and whispered into her ear. "We shall ride easy," he assured her, "do that we will not hurt your babe."