Clark pulled Chloe a little closer to his body as he ran. He could tell his speed was a little slower than usual, despite how fast the world passed his vision. He could only hope that he was fast enough to get both he and Chloe to safety before it was too late. Though he wanted to, he refrained from glancing to his watch to see how much longer they had until the building exploded. Not knowing that seemed to push him harder and faster, and convinced him they still had a chance to see the outside world.

Convinced him, further, that a life with Chloe would be his reward.

The gray hallway of the bottom level soon turned into the dark, dingy hallway that led to stairs. Stairs that led to the top, led to the warehouse, and led to the rest of their lives. Clark tried to concentrate on just moving as fast as he could, but with the woman he loved unconscious in his arms, he couldn't help but think of her, as well. To realize how extremely lucky he was to have someone like Chloe Sullivan care for him so much. He knew that if not for her, he would probably be dead.

A morbid way to see the situation, but an honest one.

And it was something Clark truly could not believe. She risked so much for me …

He loved few other women in the past. When the steps came into view ahead of him and he climbed them in only a second's time, Clark began to realize that those he thought he loved did not even compare to Chloe. She was the same woman who tested him day in and day out, who challenged him, and accepted him when no one else would. The woman that could give him a day's worth of love, and it would be enough to fulfill him for a lifetime.

The power of such a confession surprised Clark to the depths of his heart.

And he knew, immediately, that he had wasted two years of his life being angry. An emotion that often disgusted Clark, something he hated to be. Worse yet, his anger was directed towards the one person it should not have been. He should have known she would never cheat on him, or hurt him. His love for her told him that two years ago, but he refused to listen. A surprising realization that set him back in his place, and then quickly reminded him, further, why he always wanted to be with Chloe. Why, being with her for those few days before they separated made him happier than any other moment in his life.

Why … he dreamt of her endless nights, waiting for her to come to him, waiting for her to be with him, waiting for her to love him like no one else can. Waiting for her breath, her touch on his skin, and her heart to beat in rhythm with his own. For the comfort of her words, of her body pressed against his, of her eyes that brought nothing but intimacy and understanding.

And Clark knew loving her was why he lived at all.

So intense the thought, that it stilled his soul.

Somehow, Clark would have to make up the time they lost. Somehow, he would show her how much he loved her. How much he craved to be with her. How much he wanted to be her man and no one else's. How much he wanted to be the lover she always dreamt of. And remind her they have been, are now, and always will be soul mates begging to be together again. Begging to never be separated. Begging to be one forevermore.

Clark felt his thoughts melt underneath the darkness of the warehouse at the top of the stairs. He instantly ran left, towards the garage doors at the back of the warehouse, remembering that behind them were miles of empty desert. An obstacle-free landscape he knew would be best if he was forced to fly away from the building if the situation called for it. Though he didn't think he would have to, Clark knew it was better to be safe than sorry. Especially with a still unconscious Chloe in his arms.

Clark turned slightly, bent his head and shot through the garage door like it was paper, choosing to make an exit to the outside rather than look for one. And when the night air filled his nostrils, he almost let a small smile cross the line of his lips.

That thought, however, faded quickly when Clark suddenly heard the building explode behind him. The sound from the blast echoed in his ears, and the intensity of the heat climbed his back in seconds. Since he was only fifty feet away from the building when the bomb went off, the speed of the rolling fire and debris from the blast caught up with him rather quickly. And though he tried to out run it, maybe even lift both he and Chloe off the ground before it had a chance to catch up, it was no use.

The fire and debris soon began to encircle them.

Because everything happened so instantaneously, Clark didn't have time to do anything but feel when the power of the explosion suddenly pushed them twenty feet through the air. Luckily, he had enough forethought to turn just enough to ensure only he landed on the ground, letting Chloe land on top of him rather than he on top of her. And just as the fire and debris approached, he flipped her over so she was below him and then covered her body completely with his own.

In seconds, the remnants of the explosion engulfed them completely.

Clark closed his eyes then - against the fire, against the debris, and against the world entirely. And concentrated only on the woman below him, her breath still even and steady as it brushed across the base of his neck. The flowery fragrance of her perfume drifted to his nose, the strong scent quickly overpowering the air around them, and it caused Clark's heart to flutter in response. With the familiar scent came the memory of the past two days.

Above all, he remembered what it took for each of them to reach this point. The courage they needed to find. The danger they fought through. The demons they faced. And the challenges they overcame. Most importantly, Clark remembered the first step that both he and Chloe took that first night – the first time they saw each other in almost two years. Knowing Lois was more important than any feud that might still be brewing between them, they took the case on together.

Now, Clark's anger had passed away. The feud gone completely from his heart. And in its place came gratitude, understanding, and, of course, love.

Clark knew that something major happened during these past two days. It was something separate from finding Lois, from the case, and angry CEOs blowing up buildings. Before Clark took on this case, before an estranged Chloe showed up on his doorstep, and before they searched far and wide for Lois - he was lost because of his father's death only a month ago. So lost and disconnected from the world that his mother began to worry about him. So deep in his reverie that he truly felt a prisoner to his own darkness.

And then, Chloe came back into this life – like a lost ship drifting back into the harbor of his broken heart. Though seemingly gone forever, she came to him triumphantly, and washed away all of his sorrow. Just with her smile alone, Clark felt his soul brighten. Felt the sunrise, and the shadows of his world disappear. And life began to happen around him again. As if it never stopped.

Though they fought at first meeting – and even many instances after that – Clark never doubted the love that came storming back into his heart with her return to Smallville, to his life. The love he was forced to brush off and set back on the mantle of his soul before he could show it again. A love that only strengthened in texture when Chloe eased his pain and brushed his tears away. When she loved him again. When she saved him in a way no one else could.

Saved me …

And if Clark had to venture a guess, he would say he saved her, as well. Because when Chloe returned, she carried a darkness of her own. Demons with no faces, and shadows over the very corners of her heart. Though she never really talked about it with him, Clark knew his presence helped. Because of him, the burden that once weighed her down was now gone, and a version of the Chloe Sullivan he fell in love with was alive again. But this version of Chloe Sullivan was still different in that she grew in her pain, yet struggled for definition.

I have a dream, a song to sing
To help me cope with anything

While in Clark's presence, Chloe stopped blaming herself for the catastrophes of her life. While in his presence, she would search for her true identity again.

Finally, Clark opened his eyes.

If you see the wonder
Of a fairy tale

Ashes from the explosion began to fall all around them. Like snow, the small, fiery flakes drifted ever so slowly to the ground. Some carried an orange glow in the center, while others came down as pure white. Though created violently, the flakes now seemed beautiful as they painted the night like fireflies. They formed constellations in their movement against the black, canvas sky, like that of the very stars above. And quickly they changed the terror filled moment into a dream.

You can take the future
Even if you fail

Clark blinked in awe as he watched the ashes fall. When he looked down to Chloe to check her condition, he smiled when he saw her staring up at him.

Unable to say much due to the sudden, intense emotion caught in his throat, he merely greeted warmly, "Hey."

I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see

Chloe smiled at him in return, and answered him in a soft whisper. "Hey."

Clark searched her eyes then, trying to find meaning, perhaps discover her thoughts in this unforgettable moment. Because he knew, no matter what happened now, he would forever remember this; laying in the desert with Chloe in his arms, while orange and white specks encircled them in a peace meant only for this night, for this moment, and for them alone.

I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me
I'll cross the stream
I have a dream

Before Clark could say anything, to ask if she was okay, Chloe's eyebrows turned down in a grimace. She noticed blood lingered at the edge of his mouth, and she quickly assumed Peterson had something to do with it. But on closer examination, Chloe saw there was no wound – a testament to Clark's returning powers. And with a careful touch, she reached a hand there, and wiped the small drops of blood off of his face.

I have a dream, a fantasy
To help me trough reality

Chloe then realized she was crying when she felt the tears pool at the corner of her eyes. They blurred her vision slightly, even when she tried to blink them away. And as one descended down the side of her temple, Clark reached his hand to it, and wiped the tear away. Tears from her joy rather than her sadness. A promise of good things to come.

And my destination
Makes it worth the while

Chloe sighed softly and looked deeply into Clark's eyes, let her hands cup his face, and whispered with a smile, "You did it. You saved us."

Pushing through the darkness
Still another mile

Clark returned her deep gaze and shook his head. And when his own tears began to form, and then stream down his face, he felt Chloe dab them gently with the touch of her thumbs to his cheeks. Saw her face fill with concern for him. Though his emotions tried to make it difficult for him to talk, he knew he had to say this. Even if it took a little longer, Clark would not let this moment go without these words.

I believe in angels
Something good in everything I see

And after a few seconds to gain his composure, he finally whispered it, the love in his voice thick with tenderness.

I believe in angels
When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream
I have a dream

"No … we saved each other."

Chloe smiled then pulled him in for a sweet kiss.

I'll cross the stream

I have a dream

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end of main story …