Title: Stormy Nights

Rating: G, for now.

Summary: In one heartbeat, two lives are changed drastically...and friendships are tested.

Disclaimer: I don't own Smallville or the characters. Duh.

CHAPTER 2

Clark heard the voice first. Plaintive and small, it echoed through his aching head. The sound was enough to rouse him, yet it only made the throbbing in his temples worse.

Slowly, he wrenched his eyes open, only to gasp as the white-hot pain shot through his body from the movement. Still, he didn't slip back into unconsciousness. Instead, he squinted his eyes against the drizzle that drummed on the cement underneath him and attempted to focus on the figure above him.

Blonde hair, blue eyes...soaked to the bone. And crying.

"Chloe?" he groaned painfully. His head protested against the gesture, and he was forced to shut his eyes against the pounding in his head.

When he opened them again, she was closer to his face, almost inches above him, "Clark? Oh God, you're okay!"

*I'm okay...*

But he wasn't.

As Clark lay there, he felt as if every part of his body screamed for attention. His right arm ached profusely, no doubt from the way he had landed. And his legs felt as if they would never be able to support him again...

But that was impossible.

*What's wrong with me?*

The hit from the lightning would've been a jolt, but Clark never should have even lost consciousness. His powers prevented him from doing so.

Breathing heavily from the pain that ricocheted through his entire body, Clark struggled to sit up.

"Don't do that. You need to stay down." Chloe told him gently as she pushed his chest lightly.

Clark complied, but he didn't want to, "Oh God," he mumbled, suddenly realizing what had occurred. She was pushing him down with one hand, a feat that had never been done. And the worst thing was, he didn't seem strong enough to fight against the gentle pressure.

"Chloe...," he didn't know what to do. What to say. How could you tell your best friend that she now possessed the powers that had belonged to you?

"I'll get help," she told him as she rose slowly. As he watched, she swayed unsteadily, yet remained standing. Not one bruise or scratch marred her face. He, on the other hand, could feel the blood from the numerous cuts on his face and arms mingling with the drizzling rain.

"No, wait!" he pleaded weakly.

She seemed to pause.

"Get my Mom and Dad first. Please." he begged her. They could not go to a hospital, no matter what. Someone would find out, and Chloe would be the one to suffer for it.

"Clark...,"

"Just do that for me, okay?" he asked her as he again fought to sit up.

The movement sent waves of pain through his body, yet Clark found enough strength to roll onto his side and lift himself up a bit with his left arm. His right arm had lost all feeling a few minutes ago.

Chloe watched him for a few seconds, no doubt contemplating what to do. Surely she would realize what it meant to him.

After a few moments, she nodded hesitantly, "Okay."

Clark let out a whoosh of breath he'd been unconsciously holding.

*Thank God*

"But we have to get inside first."

"Uh...," and just how would they go about it?

She kneeled beside him, and Clark watched her bite her lip thoughtfully, "I can't move you...you're too heavy."

"I can't move myself, Chloe," he admitted, though reluctantly.

She ran a hand through her wet hair, frustrated. Clark wished he could help her, but it was all he could do to simply raise up on one elbow.

"You, uh, you may be stronger than you think," he told her hesitantly.

At that, Chloe snorted, yet it was a humorless laugh, "Yeah right, Clark. You're, what? Six foot three? At least a hundred and seventy pounds?"

"Just-just try," he managed to say before he fell back onto his side helplessly. God, but it hurt to move! How could people live like this, so fragile? Not even Eric's foray into the dark side had left him feeling this horrible.

She sighed and then sniffled, and Clark resisted the urge to pull her closer to him. Of course, he couldn't. It was she who was the stronger one now, strangely enough.

"Well, no harm in trying." he could tell that she was scared out of her mind, but she coolly held the fear back.

Cautiously, she grabbed him under the arms, and he bit his lip as his right arm throbbed at the movement, "That's it." he told her.

"You have to help me Clark," she told him.

He only nodded, preparing himself for the pain that would no doubt wash over him.

"Okay," she muttered, trying to gather strength she wouldn't need, "on three, I'll lift, and you try to at least get your feet under you. One...two...three!" he felt her pull on his arms, and he took that as his cue to attempt to stand.

As much as he wished his legs would work with him, they wouldn't, and Clark could only stay as limp as a rag doll. A wave of dizziness overtook him, and he felt himself crumple. But he stayed right side up. Chloe had discovered that she could lift him.

"That's good Clark," she said soothingly, and he almost laughed if not for the extreme pain that he was in. She thought that he was helping her. She didn't even realize that he was too weak to hold himself up.

After a few moments, he was moving, his feet dragging the ground. Clark held back a groan as his hurt arm was jarred awkwardly with each step that Chloe took. Her grip tightened slightly, causing him even more pain, yet he didn't say anything.

For endless minutes, there was nothing but the rain and their journey back into the school. Neither said one word, Clark because he was in too much pain to do so and Chloe because she was busy supporting his weight. He found himself slipping into unconsciousness again, and Clark fought against the impending darkness as they moved. The torture on his body was proving too much, and he had no choice but to close his eyes, suddenly very tired.

"Clark? Clark!" it was Chloe, telling him to wake up.

Pulling himself from the depths of unconsciousness, he opened his eyes to see that they had made it into the school. The rain, though lighter, still beat endlessly against the roof of the high school. Clark felt himself gently being lowered to the floor.

Above him, Chloe paced nervously, and he could see the confusion emanating from her blue eyes, "Chloe?" he asked softly.

"How did I do that Clark?" she asked him, her voice trembling a bit, "not even adrenaline could do that."

He tried to smile weakly, "Maybe-,"

"No," she stopped him, "something isn't right here."

Clark felt his heart skip a beat. She had to know what had happened. There was no telling how long the switch would be in effect, or if he would ever get his powers back. Stupid lightning. It seemed as if he was a magnet for it, even when meteor rocks weren't in sight.

"Look at me, Clark," she pointed at her face, "not one cut or bruise, and as I recall, I hit the ground pretty hard."

"You might have landed just right." he answered, grasping for straws.

She shook her head doubtfully, "No. Something happened to me. I could - I could lift you, Clark. I weigh a hundred and fifteen pounds."

"Chloe," he sighed as he shifted position on the floor, yet he didn't say anything more. He didn't know how to.

"I'm gonna find a phone and call your parents. Then we'll go from there." she told him, her voice strangely subdued.

He nodded as she disappeared down the hallway into the darkness.

Left alone, Clark bit his lip as he pushed himself up onto his elbow again. He hated being so vulnerable, so weak. It wasn't a role he was used to. After pausing to catch his breath, Clark pushed himself up a bit more, until he was putting all of his weight on his fully extended left arm. The effort was enough to drain him of all his energy, yet Clark struggled against wanting to fall back onto the floor.

A pair of hands supported him on his back, and Clark jerked, startled.

"Sorry," it was Chloe, "your parents are on their way."

He nodded as he finally rose to a sitting position, compliments of Chloe, "Did you tell them what happened?"

"Just that there had been an accident, and that you told me to get a hold of them first." she answered as she sat down beside him.

Clark drew in a slow breath, willing the pain from his right arm to fade away. His legs had a bit more feeling, leaving him more relieved than he allowed himself to show.

Chloe turned to look at him quizzically, and Clark squirmed under her gaze, "Clark, what's going on?"

"I really don't know, Chloe." he answered. It was mostly the truth. He really didn't know what had happened or how they would return to normal.

She sighed, but didn't press further, "Do you think your arm's broken?"

"I don't know," he was afraid to move it, for fear that he would only make it worse, "its' worse in the shoulder."

Chloe touched his arm gingerly and gave him a look of apology as he hissed. He watched as she narrowed her blue eyes worriedly. He could feel her concern radiating from her in waves.

It was then that Chloe did something he never thought she would be able to figure out. As Clark studied her face, she seemed to lock her gaze on his shoulder curiously. It was nothing but an observation, something she was doing to see just how hurt he was. Clark remembered how she had taken a first aid course a few summers ago, which included dressings and medicine in the field. Her keen, watchful gaze melted into one of pure terror, however, and her mouth dropped open. Chloe's blue eyes had widened until they were the sizes of dinner plates, and he heard a small squeak escape her throat.

*Oh God*

"Uh, Chloe?" he knew what was happening, what she was seeing, and he remembered how freaked out he had been when it had first happened to him. The x-ray vision was one of Clark's stranger powers.

*Great. She gets that one first.*

"Chloe!" he yelled her name, and the sound echoed down the deserted hallway.

She jerked upon hearing her name, and as he watched, she drew her gaze up to his own. Her eyes were nothing but fear and shock, "Clark-,"

"Chloe, whatever happened-," he didn't know what to do, just calm her down. Or attempt to.

She rubbed her eyes, as if the gesture would cause everything that had happened in the last half hour to disappear, "I just saw through you!" her voice rose to fever pitch.

"How-?"

"God, Clark, I don't know! But I did," she was visibly trembling, "I saw through your arm. I saw your bones and muscles."

Clark watched as she shuddered violently, "Chloe-," he tried again.

"Just shut up!" she screamed, shocking him into silence, "what's-what's wrong with me?" she asked him again. This time, her voice broke, and a tear fell down her still damp cheek.

Fighting against the pain in his arm, Clark shifted closer to her. He knew that she would have to know. Everything about him would be revealed, and Clark could only hope that she would take the new information better than Pete had.

Then again, Pete hadn't gotten stuck with his abilities.

Clark drew in a breath, "Chloe, I know what's wrong with you."

That sentence caught her attention, and she halted her muttering to listen.

determined, Clark plunged forward and told her everything.