Title: The Christmas Truth

Author: DCForever

Feedback: Who doesn't want it? It is definitely welcomed and appreciated. Thanks for thinking of us. Ideas and further suggestions for current or future stories are welcomed as well.

Rating: PG

Pairing: Clark/Chloe

Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Science Fiction

Archiving: Archiving is permitted as long as I know of where it will be posted and that all the above info stays intact. Email me with your request & site address so I can keep up where my stories are posted on the web.

Disclaimer: Let's get this straight...I'm not affiliated with anyone...don't have anything of major value. Think that about covers it.
Author's Note: Please, let me know what you like or hate about the story. The story was checked with Word, but otherwise is unbeta-ed.
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"Morning, Martha," a teenager addressed as she stood on the Kent's front porch, shivering from the outside wintry chill.

"Same to you Chloe; now come on in out of the cold," Martha Kent suggested as she forced the door open wide enough for the girl to step inside. The wind was strong and it took both ladies to shut the wooden door back, attempting to keep as much warmth inside the house.

"We're experiencing quite a miracle out there," Chloe mentioned as she and Martha looked out the door's window panes at the heavy falling snow whipping around in the strong wind.

"Hard to believe it just started only a few hours ago and already I can't see our driveway. How did you manage to get caught in this?" Martha let the curtain fall back in place then stepped further into the living room. Chloe followed Martha and the source of heat radiating from the room.

"I didn't get caught in it; I willingly came out in it, not one of my best moves. I just couldn't wait to see what Clark thought of the present I got for him. He's going to be so surprised and I just couldn't wait at home so I just had to come over...even through all that whiteness."

"Agreed, but you know, this wasn't one of your brighter ideas. You know Clark would have understood due to the circumstance. You really shouldn't have even considered the idea. What if something had happened to you on your way over here? How do you think that would have affected Clark if you were hurt...and all for a present? Well I'm not going to let you make that same mistake again. You young lady will be stay here until the weather clears up."

"I know Martha, you're right about it all, but I just couldn't wait to see his face when he sees what he got. You and Mr. Kent will be just as surprised, but Clark has to see it first. I want to see his eyes light up. That reminds me, did you know that sometimes when Clark is lost in concentration that his eyes light up...literally? They seem to have a red glow to them."

"We were told that it must have been a trait passed down from his birth parents. Speaking of parents, this one thinks that Clark should be awakened. So why don't I let you have the honor? You know where his room is. I'm sure he would love to see you first thing in the morning. What red blooded American teenager wouldn't want to wake up to a beautiful girl?"

"Don't make me blush. So you don't mind if I go on up?"

"You have my blessing, Chloe. While you get up sleepy head I'll see if I can't round up Jonathan in the barn. He was quite worried about the livestock when this snow blizzard came out of nowhere."

"Yeah, who would have thought that there would be something strange and unique happening in Smallville?" Chloe smirked at her own sarcastic tone and turned for the stairs.

"Yep, Clark will surely love seeing her when he wakes," thought Martha as she grabbed her overcoat from the coat rack just inside the front door and opened and then forcefully closed back the wind pressured front door and disappeared into the blizzard.

Chloe ascended the stairs as she headed toward Clark's upstairs bedroom, anticipating what kind of reaction she might get from the tall and toned teenage farm boy. Outside the closed door, she raised her knuckles and lightly tapped at the wooden door, but no welcome or noise came from the other side. She reached down and turned the door knob and slowly pushed the door open into the room. She walked into the room and immediately turned to softly close it back. She then turned around to face Clark's bed, but that was as far as she went, having frozen in her tracks.

Suspended over the bed was Clark's body. He was floating in mid-air with nothing holding him up. Chloe wasn't sure if her eyes were deceiving her or not. A few minutes passed with no movement coming from the blonde. Slowly her curiosity surfaced and she was able to feel her legs again and took baby steps as she neared the bed. Silently she slowly inched herself around three sides of the bed and ran her hands under Clark's body checking for wires, air flow, or something that could logically explain what she was seeing with her own eyes.

For years now, her and Clark had witnessed, researched, and even battled a number of mutated, powerful freaks in and around Smallville, using their story headlines for Smallville High School's newspaper, The Torch. The Torch was Chloe's personal baby. She was the editor and chief and basically controlled and ran the paper as she saw fit, having only to answer to guidelines set by the school district and the schools principal; guidelines she saw fit to break or push to their limits on occasion.

Chloe had even created a wall where she posted newspaper articles and pictures of said freaks. Appropriately, she called the wall the 'Wall of Weird,' and overtime others had come to learn of its existence, knowledge of which had been used for good and evil intent.

Now here she was on Christmas morning, standing in her best friend's bedroom staring at him floating in mid-air over his bed without any type of support. She was dumbfounded the longer she just stared and tried to piece together her thoughts, causing her to remember many odd occurrences in which Clark had been involved with in the past. She wasn't ready to pass her friend off as a freak just yet, not until she watched him turn over on his side, facing her direction. Clark's tee shirt was glowing bright red, obviously from a light source beneath the shirt.

Her peripheral vision brought her attention to yet another light source shining out from around the seal of a lead box sitting atop Clark's dresser. She walked over and picked up the box, but that's as far as she got. "Lead," she thought, unsure what was glowing from within the box, thinking leaving it be would probably be best. She set it back down, walked over and sat down in Clark's desk chair and turned to face her friend. "What exactly is going on with you Clark," she contemplated as she carefully took in the contents and arrangement of his room. It was as if she didn't know her friend anymore...if she really ever knew him to begin with.

She knew he had secrets to hide as did she and most people, but she always felt there was something different with Clark. And now she had an idea of just what he had been hiding from all his friends for years. She now understood why Clark had been so direct and angry with her when she started to research his life, past and present, including his family and origins.

As the teenager tried to sort out her thoughts, Clark's body started shaking violently in his sleep. His body started rotating as the violent shaking increased, yet his eyes never opened. Chloe was freaked out, didn't know what to do. She jumped out of the chair and yelled out Clark's name, but she got nothing in return. She reached her hand out, but the rotational force was so great she couldn't get her hand within a foot of the spinning body. The lead box's lock broke and the lid shot open casting a bright green gleam across the entire bedroom." Lana's necklace she first thought. Chloe ran over to close the lid down somehow knowing it couldn't be good, but there was a strong force surrounding the box to the point that she couldn't close it.

Chloe had never seen anything like this before. 'What does Lana's necklace have to do with Clark?' she thought as she rushed out the room and down the stairs. The front door was thrown open and she screamed out into the snow filled yard for the Kents.

"Martha! Jonathan! Come quickly, it's Clark!" She didn't hear any response so she ran out into the snow and headed toward the barn. Once inside she found both Kents surrounded by floating green meteor rocks and tons of holes in the dirt floor of the barn. Clark's parents had no way of escaping through the meteor barricade.

"Chloe," Martha yelled out when she spotted the girl.

"Is there anything I can do?" Chloe asked as she stood just out of reach of the rock barricade.

"We would tell you if we knew what was happening." Jonathan shot out. "Martha, why is she here?" he whispered softly.

"She came to see Clark." Jonathan shot his wife a questionable stare.

"No, I mean why she is out here?" Martha shrugged her shoulders, then her eyes widened as she turned serious.

"Chloe," Martha looked questionably at the girl.

"It's Clark...something is wrong with him. It started out with him only floating over his bed, but then he started shaking and spinning and then this green rock shot out a green light across the room...oh, and his chest was glowing red."

"Jor El," Jonathan cussed as he looked at his wife. "Now's not the time for answers Chloe, we have to find a way to get around all these rocks."

Chloe grabbed a shovel from the edge of a barn stall and started hitting the rocks out of her way as she made a path toward the Kents. Jonathan tried to shove the rocks out of the way, but each time he touched one it sent a burning sensation through his body. Chloe saw the instinctive jerk back knowing the rocks were harmful. She continued toward the Kents and once a full path had been cleared out, she and the Kents ran as fast as they could toward the house. Jonathan threw open the door and took the stairs three steps at a time, then come to a full stop when he reached what used to be Clark's bedroom; all that was left was a large hole in the wall in the hallway, wood chips from the one time door laid scattered about the floor.

Chloe and Martha ran up behind Jonathan and just stared into the room. "Where did all those symbols come from?" asked Chloe as she looked at all the Kryptonian symbols that had appeared out of nowhere and were burned into the walls of the room, each setting off a low level red light. The girl no longer saw the green light and looked toward the lead box, but all that appeared was a solid black rock, much like a lump of coal, attached to a gold necklace chain.

"That rock on Clark's dresser was green earlier," she stated as the Kents looked at the girl with confusion written all over their faces.

"Jonathan, what is Jor El doing to our son?"

"I haven't a clue, Martha, not a one. It doesn't look like we can do anything here for Clark, but I'm willing to bet anything we'll find some answers in the Indian caves. I'll be back as soon as I can and if the answer is there I'll find out what it is." Jonathan stared lovingly at his son and then fled the room in a rush with tears streaming down his face.

Chloe looked at Jonathan's back as he ran for the truck and then at Martha. "What are you waiting for girl? If you're going then I suggest you get moving." Chloe's eyes brightened up and she took off running after Mr. Kent.

On the drive to the cave, Chloe tried to have a verbal conversation with Jonathan, but silence was all he returned for her ongoing questions. The snow seemed to be falling faster and the wheels on the truck were loosing their traction, but no snow, hazardous conditions, or slippery roads was going to come between Jonathan and the caves. There were a few times Chloe wondered if they were even still driving on a road, but she put her trust in Jonathan to get them to the caves and safely; he was a Kent after all

The truck came to a screeching halt and Jonathan jumped out and treaded through the newly fallen snow to get to the caves' entrance. One inside the warm caves, he looked back to make sure Chloe was okay and took off walking further into the caves. Jonathan knew the caves just about as good as his son due to the number of times he had frequented them. The only other time Chloe had been to the caves was for an out of control rave that...well, got out of control.

Jonathan pulled up short when he saw the opening in the cave wall and hesitated before entering the brightly lit room/dimension. Chloe followed his shadow into the light.

"So you have come," spoke out a loud, echoing voice.

"Jor El. What now? What kind of trial are you putting Clark and my family through this time?"

"Jonathan, you lack in your faith. Earth; what an interesting place? Ah and the lovely Ms. Sullivan. I do believe this is our first time meeting."

"Meeting usually refers to seeing the other person and talking face-to-face with that person. So what can you tell us about what is happening with Clark?" She wasn't one for beating around the bush when it came to getting what she wanted.

"Kal El is on a dream journey," the voice spoke out loudly.

"Kal El? That's the name Clark was going by in Metropolis last summer."

"Indeed you would be correct Ms. Sullivan. Kal El is my son's true Kryptonian name."

"Your son? I just thought he made up some ridiculous name to hide his identity." The more she listened the more she realized she hadn't ever truly known the real Clark...Kal El.

"To his family and friends he goes by the name Clark. He is indeed my son. He was sent here from Krypton, our home planet, for his safety and to ensure that the Kryptonian race survives. He arrived as a child in a specially designed spacecraft and the Kents have raised him ever since. As he grows older, his power strengthens and with that power...he needs to know all that is rightfully his to know. From where we come, knowledge is a much valued power source."

"Planet? Power? Clark? Is this for real Mr. Kent?" Chloe knew she didn't have to ask. She knew no practical joke would be taken this far.

"I'm afraid it is, Chloe. I hate that you weren't able to hear this from Clark before all this."

"So all along...he's...he's been an alien? And he has powers?"

"He has the full gambit...strength, speed, impenetrable skin, heat vision, x-ray vision...and who knows what other powers he may one day possess." Jonathan couldn't stand to see the hurt in the young girl's face and turned toward the large table in the center of the room. "Why now Jor El, why must Clark have to face this dream journey now?"

"Isn't Earth's tradition of Christmas known for the time of year for one to give presents to those they love? Consider this my gift to my son. If he is determined and strong enough to survive his journey then he will know all he needs to know of his existence, what is expected of him, and do what it takes to make himself known to the people of Earth. His life mission will be set. You and Martha will no longer have a hold on him. I will no longer have a hold. He will be who he is meant to be and his true powers shall reveal themselves. This was part of our deal or don't you remember, Jonathan."

"Our deal was Martha and I to give Clark over to you when the time had come."

"And that time has come."

"But you took him from us already and gave him back. Your time has passed."

"Kal El's journey has been long and it's just now truly beginning. If you believe he is who he is meant to be then you will trust and recognize him as so by his journey's end. Love is a strong force amongst itself."

"Will Clark remember any of this when his journey is complete?" asked Chloe.

"When the time is right he will remember what is meant to be. He is Kal El, son of Jor El, and he shall make rule of Earth as he deems."

"Mr. Kent, is he saying what I think he's saying?"

"Yes Chloe, if what Clark's been told is true, he will one day rule Earth."

"Hahaha, take interpretations as you will, for all has not been revealed. Clark will know the path set by our Kryptonian ancestry and in due time his plan and fate shall be known to all. Go now in peace and celebrate your religious holiday. Be gone!"

A bright light shot through the room, but as the light faded, Jonathan and Chloe found themselves back in the heart of the caves and the hole in the wall had been closed and sealed.

"Did that really just happen?" Chloe asked, looking around at her surroundings.

"You now know all that which Martha, Clark, I, and Pete knows. If any of this was to fall into the wrong hands, I don't want to phantom what could come of it."

"Pete? You mean all this...he knew about all this, about Clark's origins and powers, then why not me?"

"Chloe, you're a smart girl...sometimes too smart for your own good, I think you already have your answer. We should be getting back to the farm. There's nothing we can do here...anywhere actually. We'll just have to wait and see if Clark ever awakens. Let's go."

"Sure thing," Chloe walked back to the truck with Jonathan and on the ride back to the farm all she could think about were the awards and accolades that could come from top brace newspapers and organizations if she were to break this story. Yes, indeed, she knew the answer to her own question, but even she didn't know if she could trust herself with all that had been revealed to her on the eve of this Smallville Christmas.

When they arrived back at the Kent farm, Martha was still standing by Clark's bedroom overlooking her son, clueless as to what was happening to him and why.

"Jonathan." She called out as he ascended the stairs and hugged his wife.

"Sorry sweetheart, but there's nothing we can do. Jor El made it perfectly clear it was up to Clark to complete what he called a dream journey. All we can do is just wait, hope, and pray for our son to be returned to us unscathed.

"Jonathan?"

"I know Martha, I know. We've done all we can for him. Now it's up to him."

Chloe watched the close interaction between the couple and started crying herself. She stepped up to the last step and looked into Clark's room. On the floor laid the gift she had earlier dropped, still wrapped in paper. She walked over and picked the present up from the floor and slowly discarded the box of its wrapping paper. She reached into the small box and pulled out a brace name plate with an engraving of Clark's name and official position in small letters below it, 'Intern Reporter'.

Chloe whispered in Clark's direction, "Got an email last night confirming early acceptance from the Daily Planet's intern program. Included was a message for me to pass on to you. They loved the samples of work I sent them from The Torch...and you were accepted as well. Merry Christmas, Clark." Chloe could barely get the last bit out before tears started forming. Martha stepped away from her husband and walked over and cast her arms around the young girl's body.

"He's strong and a fighter. He'll come out of this...whatever this is." Martha encouraged the girl as they both looked in Clark's direction. "He loves you, you know. He's wanted to tell you and Lana both for the longest time, but Jonathan and I held him back. For that I'm sorry."

"This may sound very strange, but I'm not worried for Clark...I'm worried for myself. This is a heavy burden to carry around for someone, especially someone like myself. I wouldn't ever want to willingly do or say anything to hurt Clark...but I fear I might."

Chloe stepped out of Martha's warm embrace and walked to the edge of the bed. "No matter what Clark, I love you." She said and then turned to leave the room.

At that moment, Clark's eyes shot open wide and his mouth opened, each casting out a red light into the room as he spoke, "I too." Chloe heard his words and quickly turned around just in time to see a slight smile rise from his upturned lips, and then his body began to fade away. Chloe jumped toward him, but she only caught air as his body faded out of sight. Martha's hand cupped her mouth and tears poured from the three. Jonathan just froze. No one had any answers, but they all knew who and what Clark stood for and they believed full heartily in him.

As quickly as the Kryptonian symbols had appeared engraved in the walls of the room, they too faded, returning the walls to their previous state. Chloe felt a tingling in her hand as the symbols vanished from sight. Turning her hand to her face, she looked down at her ring finger and watched as symbol after symbol slowly appeared round her finger.

Martha and Jonathan hugged each other as the symbols formed a Kryptonian ring around her finger. Chloe treated it as such and ran her other fingers around what would have been the band and as each symbol was touched, she saw visions appear to her and only her.

"Martha, I guess Clark has already made one decision." Martha smiled up at her husband and settled back into his chest as they watched Chloe's reaction. The teenager turned and smiled at the loving couple and then kissed the mysteriously engraved ring. "I accept, Clark, I accept."

The End